The Ultimate Gathering of the DigiDestined
by Shara Raizel
Summary: Have you ever wondered what would happen if the casts of Adventure 02, Tamers, and Frontier of Digimon were to meet? This is the Ultimate Adventure of the DigiDestined!
1. August First

Hi! For those of you who don't know me already, I'm Shara Raizel and this is my first story! I am so excited. I had originally intended to have the casts of both Adventure 01 and 02 in this, but after a long time I realized that it would be too confusing with two sets of the same characters. Sure older Tai could go by Taichi, Matt by Yamato, Izzi by Koushirou and so forth, but Mimi, Sora and Joe (even if I could spell it differently) don't have another way to _say_ their name and it got confusing for me as the writer to keep straight who was talking. So I dropped that idea and just stuck with the 02 cast. I played around with many different scenarios of how to start this story and this one turned out to be the best. I hope to have moments for every character at least once (this is gonna be very long so if you hate cliff hangers and waiting hold off on reading this story for a year or two :D). I've grown up with the English version of these shows so I'm going to use their names from the English dubs. This'll be following as much of the story lines in the animes as closely as possible. Sora and Matt are together even though I am a hugh Taiora fan but this is for accuracy sake. I hope you enjoy my first fan fic, and just so we're clear:

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.

(**_Note_**: This is a revised chapter. I am taking a break from uploading new chapters and as I go back over this story all of the other revised chapters will have bold and underlined chapter titles and location captions as seen below! Other changes are that T.K. and J.P. are simply TK and JP now. Too many periods made things a bit confusing for my grammar check and I'm surprised that I lasted 40 chapters doing it that way. Enjoy the story if you're a new reader, please review, and if you're rereading this story look forward to the newly inserted/altered parts! See if you can spot them!)

* * *

**Chapter 1: August 1**

In the last thirty years alone technology has surpassed itself at an amazing rate. The computer alone has advanced far beyond its original capabilities. Now people all over the world are plugged into the network as its technologies continue to advance. This story begins in three districts of Tokyo Japan, but in three different realities. This is the story of the greatest adventure of adventures. This is the story of the ultimate gathering of DigiDestined…

* * *

**The Human World – Adventure DigiDestined**

Hikari "Kari" Kamiya and Takeru "TK" Takaishi were waiting at the park in Odaiba for their friends to join them for the anniversary of the day that the original eight DigiDestined defeated Myotismon. It has been four years since then and TK and Kari were the only two of the original eight DigiDestined to receive the new upgraded version of the digivice, the D3, and continued their adventures in the Digital World with the new and current group of DigiDestined who had joined them just over a year ago. The other six original chosen children helped them from behind the scenes, supplying alibis and excuses for the others so that they could perform their duties within the Digital World without their families knowing.

The first foe that this new group of DigiDestined had faced was a boy known infamously in the Digital World as the Digimon Emperor, but he had turned out to be the boy genius, Ken Ichijoji. Ken had been under the influence of a dark spore virus that had entered his body the first time he'd gone to the Digital World as a little boy. It had consumed him with darkness but when Ken finally realized that what he had been doing was wrong and that Digimon were actually living creatures he cast aside his alter ego. It took a while, but he finally joined the DigiDestined after a lot of prodding and encouragement from the new leader of the group, Daisuke "Davis" Motomiya, who was the only one at the time willing to give Ken a second chance after all that he had done as the Digimon Emperor. Now there were twelve DigiDestined in their group and many others all over the world. After all they'd been through, the twelve DigiDestined of Tokyo Japan were gathering for a reunion.

TK and Kari had run into each other on their way to the park and decided to wait together. They were awfully close to each other these days much to Davis' dislike. The young leader had had a crush on Kari for years and hadn't bothered to hide that fact.

"TK! Kari!" a girl's voice suddenly called out to the couple.

The two turned in unison to see a lavender haired girl with large round glasses come bounding toward them with a small short brown-haired boy. This was Miyako "Yolei" Inoue and Iori "Cody" Hida. They lived in the same apartment building as TK and his mother.

"Hey guys!" Kari smiled.

"Why didn't you wait for us TK?" Cody asked.

TK shrugged. "I went out for a walk and ran into Kari."

Cody didn't need any further explanation. He wasn't one to pry into TK and Kari's private affairs.

"Hey there!"

This time it was Sora Takenouchi, one of the original eight DigiDestined.

"Where's Matt?" TK called over to the redhead.

Sora gave an exaggerated sigh.

"Where else? Band practice. He said he'd catch up in a few."

"You're too easy on him Sora," Kari scoffed teasingly. "If he was my boyfriend, he'd be with me and not his stupid band."

"He means well," Sora laughed.

Yamato "Matt" Ishida was TK's older brother. Their parents were divorced, so they had different last names, but becoming DigiDestined had managed to keep the two brothers close in spite of the separation. Matt and Sora had started going out sometime after Christmas last year and were planning on celebrating their sixth month anniversary soon.

"How's the flower shop?" Yolei asked, changing the topic.

"It's the same as ever," Sora smiled. "Mom said she could handle it by herself today so that I could come and join you guys."

"That's good to hear," a low voice said as two arms suddenly held Sora from behind in an embrace. Matt had arrived and joined them unobserved while they were all talking. He gave Sora a quick peck on the cheek before releasing her.

"Aww common Matt!" the voice of Kari's older brother, Taichi "Tai" Kamiya, sounded out from behind them. "I just ate!"

Their friend and computer wiz, Koushirou "Izzi" Izumi, was with him.

Matt and Sora just ignored Tai and gave each other another quick kiss.

"Where are the others?" Tai asked, ignoring them right back.

"Joe had a test this morning but I believe he was going to pick up Mimi from the airport when he finished," Sora mused.

Mimi Tachikawa had moved to New York shortly after their first DigiDestined reunion three years ago, but she had always made the long flight back just for this day. Joe Kido had recently graduated from high school and was now going to medical school to become a doctor like his father. His knowledge in the subject had been more then useful over the past year when he had been available. He was still good old reliable Joe: tall, lanky, and as cautious as ever.

"How about Davis and Ken?" Izzi asked.

TK shrugged.

"Who knows? Davis probably slept in again and Ken lives all the way in Tamachi. He's probably on the train right now."

"Correction," a soft voice said from behind. "He's right here."

Ken Ichijoji smiled as he joined the group. It was hard for everyone to believe that not even a year ago he had been the evil Digimon Emperor.

"Hey! Don't start without me!" called out a loud voice.

Davis Motomiya. Who else?

"It's about time Davis!" Tai called out. "We were about to send out a search party!"

"Really?" the younger boy asked incredulously.

"No silly," Kari laughed. "You're not that late. Ken just arrived as well."

"Great! Hey wait, where's Mimi and Joe?"

Before anyone could reply Joe's voice called out to them.

"Sorry we're late!" he laughed.

"I ran into some good friends before leaving American and asked them to join us last minute!" Mimi beamed beside Joe as they drew closer to the waiting group. There were two others following them. Both were blond and blue eyed, but it didn't look like they were related. Davis was the first to recognize them.

"Hey! It's Michael and Willace!"

Michael Barton was Mimi's friend from New York. Everyone had met Michael in passing, but only Davis and Mimi knew that he was the son of a famous western movie star. Willace Globerman lived in New York as well, but was originally from Colorado. He was the only known DigiDestined that had been given twin Digimon partners. However, as he approached the group the twin Digimon were absent from their usual hovering position next to their human partner. They were probably stuck back in the Digital World with the rest of the world's DigiDestined's Digimon partners. Ever since the defeat of MaloMyotismon the partner Digimon had been unable to gain access and return to the human world. Not even Tokyo's twelve DigiDestined had been spared from this unforeseeable occurrence. However, it appeared that they were still able to occasionally travel to the Digital World if they had access an operational Digital Portal and a D3 digivice.

"Willace?" Ken repeated puzzled. Unlike the other DigiDestined he'd never even heard of Willace.

"Oh! Sorry Ken," Yolei gasped. "You don't know about him do you? We met him back when you were still the Digimon Emperor."

Kari picked up the story from there.

"TK and I were in New York visiting Mimi when I sensed a crying Digimon nearby. We found Willace in the middle of a fight between two of his own Digimon. He ran when he saw us so I called Davis telling him to come to America with Cody and Yolei. They met Willace hitchhiking while we were taking the train. I'm sure he'll tell you the full story later."

"Yeah," Davis smiled. "We've become good friends. He did say he'd get in touch if he ever had the chance to come to Japan. Looks like Mimi took him up on his offer."

When the four newcomers finally join the others, introductions were made for Willace who had only ever met Kari, TK, Davis, Cody and Yolei. Now everyone, expected and unexpected, was accounted for. Davis had a feeling that this was going to be an eventful reunion.

* * *

**The Human World – Digimon Tamers**

In another reality, Digimon was a TV show, trading card game and a video game series. That is up until a few months ago when they became real and had found a way to enter the human world. The few Digimon that had found human partners referred to them as their Tamers.

In Shinjuku one Tamer, Takato Matsuki, was hurriedly changing into his usual blue pull over and grey slacks. He was a special kid. He had come up with and designed his own Digimon and somehow it had come to life. After meeting two other children who also had Digimon partners of their own, they fought together to save their world from rouge Digimon known as "Wild Ones," and a government computer program, the "D-Reaper," that had gone out of control. In the end, the Digimon had to return to their own world, but Takato had found a portal last week where his Digimon used to stay.

Today he was supposed to be joining his fellow Tamers at the park where he'd found the portal, but it had taken too long helping his parents in their bakery and now he was late. Today the Tamers were going to attempt to return to the Digital World to see their Digimon partners.

"Man oh man! Rika is gonna kill me!" Takato groaned as he snapped his round yellow goggles on over his messy mousy-brown hair.

He pulled his bike out of the side yard and peddled as fast as he could. He could only imagine Rika Nonaka's scowl. The redhead didn't like waiting. Sure enough, when he finally arrived Rika was already in a fowl mood. She was famously known as the Digimon Queen in the trading card game tournament world. She had never lost a game to anyone but one person. The very person, Takato noticed, was standing behind her.

Ryo Akiyama.

If Rika was the Digimon Queen, than Ryo was the infamous Digimon King. He had won every card tournament before his mysterious disappearance a little over one year ago. He was the first person to become a Digimon Tamer, gain a Digimon partner, and go to the Digital World, but no one, not even Ryo himself, knew how it had happened. He had disappeared the day he'd defeated Rika in the final round of her first tournament but no one saw him again until Takato and the other Tamers had found a way to the Digital World themselves almost one year later.

Ryo waved lightly as Takato pulled up to where everyone's bikes were.

"You're late goggle head!" Rika growled.

"Give him a break Rika," a tan, raven-haired boy with blue eyes sighed.

This was Henry Wong. He was holding his five-year old sister, Suzie Wong, by the hand as he stepped forward to greet his best friend.

"It's about time!" one of Takato's oldest friends sighed.

Kazu Shioda was standing next to another old friend of Takato's, Kenta Kitagawa, a few feet away from Rika and Ryo.

"Hey Takato!" a girl's voice called out.

Takato blushed. He hadn't seen Jeri Katou standing beside Ryo behind Rika. For once she was without her hand sock puppet, but Takato didn't really notice. She probably had it in her bag anyway.

"Hen-wee," Suzie pouted. "Let's go! I wanna see Lopmon!"

"Yeah!" two other voices chorused.

Two little kids around Suzie's age were sitting just out of Takato's sight next to Jeri. One was a little boy, Mako, around the age of five with brown hair and eyes. His sister, Ai, who was a year older, held his hand.

"Oh hey Mako. Ai," Takato greeted. "Is Jeri babysitting you?"

The brother and sister nodded. The two of them were the only Tamers who shared a Digimon partner. Ai currently wore their shared digivice around her neck. In this reality the Tamer's had started calling their digivices D-Powers after Henry's father, Janyu, started calling them that while he was analyzing the ways the devices help the Tamer's Digimon 'power' up using the trading card game's Modify Cards.

Out of the corner of his eye, Takato noticed Henry frown. Henry had been greatly distressed when Suzie had become a Tamer and now kids her age had also been given a Digimon partner and wanted to go the Digital World. It was dangerous enough without having little kids to look after. What had happened to Jeri and her partner was proof enough. Jeri's Digimon partner had been deleted the last time they were there, but she still had her digivice. Even though her partner was gone now, she continued to help the others no matter what and would brave the Digital World once more even if they told her to stay.

"Well everyone is accounted for," Rika huffed. "Now show us where you found this portal Takato!"

"Now wait a minute!" Henry said. "Say we go through this portal, how exactly are we going to get back?"

Rika paused. Henry had a point. As much as she wanted to see her Digimon partner she didn't want to be stuck in the Digital world. Ryo had been stuck there for an entire year before they had come along and brought him back with them. If he hadn't found a way back without outside help over the course of a year, how could they hope do so now? They hadn't told their parents what they were up to and Janyu Wong and his co-workers had been instrumental in bringing them home safely. So now the question on everyone's mind was, "What now?"

* * *

**The Human World – Frontier DigiDestined**

In this third and final reality there is no public or even government knowledge of a Digital World or Digimon. The only ones who knew were a bunch of confused kids that had hopped onto a special train that had taken them to the Digital World. Most of these children were sent right back and hardly knew that Digimon even existed and simply marked off their trip as a strange dream. However, there were six children that had been allowed to stay, but they didn't have Digimon partners like the chosen children from the other two realities. That is because they didn't need a Digimon partner. They themselves _became_ Digimon. Or at least they had been able to when they were infused with one of the Ten Legendary Digimon Warriors' spirits. Now they were back in their own world where they were fully human again. It has been almost one year since the children had received the mysterious phone call from the Digital World telling them to go to the Shibuya train station and board a train Digimon called Trailmon that would take them to the Digital World. It was these six who had been chosen by the spirits of the Legendary Warriors and chose to stay and fight the battle against the evil that had threatened to take over the Digital World.

One of these six DigiDestined, Takuya Kanbara, was looking uneasily at the clock on the wall. He was sitting in his doctor's office with his mother waiting to hear the results of some medical tests they had run over the previous two weeks. His mother was fidgeting in her seat, worrying, while Takuya's mind was elsewhere. Today was his friend and fellow DigiDestined, Tomoki "Tommy" Himi's, birthday and because of this appointment he was going to be late to the party. The other four DigiDestined were going to be there too and he hadn't seen any of them in a long time.

Finally the doctor came in but his face was grim.

'_Uh-oh_,' thought Takuya. '_No good news comes from a doctor making that kind of face_.'

His mother's head shot up and despair immediately set in.

"Well?" she asked breathlessly.

"I'm sorry ma'am," the doctor sighed. "Our tests came back positive. Your son has lung cancer and… I'm afraid it's terminal. If we had found out about it sooner something might have been done, but the tumor is just too large now and spread out. We can go ahead and give him chemotherapy and see if it helps, but I'm afraid that there isn't much hope."

Takuya was shocked. He'd always been perfectly healthy up until a few months ago when he'd started have chest pains and some trouble breathing after playing soccer, but he'd never have thought that it would have to do with cancer. It just didn't seem possible. How could he have an advanced case of cancer when he'd shown no signs until recently?

"I don't care," his mother said gruffly. "I'll take what I can. Little hope is better then no hope at all. What are the symptoms?"

The doctor sighed and began rattling off a list of conditions.

"Shortness of breath, chronic coughing, coughing up blood, wheezing, chest pain, weight loss, hoarse voice, and difficulty swallowing.

Takuya felt numb. Within the last week he'd experienced all of those symptoms except for the coughing up blood one, but it was probably only a matter of time before that started too.

"How long?" he asked. "You said it was terminal. How long do I have to live?"

The doctor gave him a long calculated glance.

"…At the rate your tumor has been growing? …Two years max. And that's without the chemo."

Takuya nodded. He felt numb. His mother squeezed his hand and then returned her attention to the doctor.

"How soon can we begin the chemotherapy?"

The doctor sighed before turning to his computer.

"At least a week. I'll make the arrangements for next weekend and you can bring Takuya to the main hospital here in Shibuya," he said, handing her the folder that held Takuya's records and test results.

"Thank you doctor," she smiled sadly, taking the folder and handing it to Takuya.

Takuya nodded his thanks before following his mother out of the hospital. When they got back to the car he grabbed his bag from the back seat, stuffed the medical folder in it and took off down the street.

"Takuya?" his mother yelled after him. "Where are you going?"

"To Tommy's birthday party!" he yelled over his shoulder. "I'm late!"

"Takuya! Please come back! We need to talk about your-!"

"I'll be fine Mom! See you later!"

That was the last thing he wanted. Takuya didn't want to think about the cancer right now. He just couldn't wrap his mind around it. A part of him had already accepted that he might not live to see his high school years, but the other half of him was determined to live that remaining time to the fullest. And right now he needed to be with his friends. This terminal lung cancer thing was too depressing.

As he raced for the park his chest began to hurt so he had to stop and breath. His eye caught his reflection in one of the corner mirrors that were placed on specific street corners to help drivers see if there was any traffic or pedestrians coming around one of their blind spots on the corner.

Takuya was wearing his usual yellow shirt with the black spiked swirl design on the front under a red short sleeved button up over shirt, grey cargo pants, red and yellow sneakers, and the grey square framed goggles over his favorite olive green hat that was worn backwards like all of the cool kids. But despite the colorful clothes and tan skin he saw how pale, thin and sick he looked. How could he face his friends when he looked like such a wreck?

* * *

Tommy was worried. In his big orange hat, he looked even smaller then he really was. His party had started a little over an hour ago and everyone he had invited was there but Takuya. Takuya was like a second older brother to Tommy and not seeing him around made him worry. Takuya had never been this late before.

He looked around at the other party guests and saw them all having fun, but he wasn't. How could he when one of his closest friends wasn't there? Tommy wasn't the only one who was worried though.

Koji Minamoto was constantly looking towards the park entrance. His twin brother, Koichi Kimura, could feel anxiety coming off of him in waves. Koichi didn't know Takuya as well as his twin, but he knew Takuya enough to know that he'd never been this late to anything before. He could see how worried little Tommy was too.

A pretty blond Italian girl with green eyes approached them.

The twins eyed her nervously. She looked ticked.

"Where is that stupid Takuya?" she huffed. "Poor Tommy has been waiting for this party and isn't having any fun because he isn't here."

"Chill Z," sighed a big heavyset boy with brown hair "This is Takuya we're talking about. He probably lost track of time and is on his way over right now."

These were the remaining two DigiDestined of the group: Izumi "Zoe" Orimoto and Junpei "JP" Shibayama.

"I'm sure JP is right," Koichi said gently. "He wouldn't want to disappoint Tommy. They're practically brothers."

Koji nodded.

"He'll be here," Tommy's little voice said.

Tommy had come up to them while they had been talking. He had seen them gather while the other partygoers played and laughed, oblivious to the serious conversation. The four looked away from him guiltily. Even though Tommy was one of them, he was the youngest in their group and still just a little kid. He was ten years old today and everyone else in their group was twelve except for JP, who was thirteen.

"Hey! Sorry I'm late!" they heard a loud voice call out.

Tommy's face lit up instantly.

"Takuya!"

Takuya was hurrying towards the group while shrugging a bang off his shoulder.

"Hey buddy! Sorry I'm so late. I had trouble wrapping your present and then I missed my train and the next one was delayed and yada yada yada… Happy birthday kid!"

Takuya handed Tommy a rather sloppily wrapped present with rather lumpy sides, but Tommy didn't seem to care. He tore apart the wrappings and gasped. Inside was a whistle, a cool pair of gloves with a matching sweatshirt, and a soccer ball autographed by his favorite player, Kazuyoshi Miura. He was speechless.

"Oh wow," he gasped, unable to come up with anything else.

Takuya grinned. The whistle and clothes were something that his mom had thought would make a good gift and he'd gotten lucky when he had won that soccer ball for Tommy. Takuya had entered a soccer camp competition and worked hard to win that for his friend because he knew how big of a Miura fan Tommy was. If Takuya was good at anything it was soccer. It was his favorite sport… that he may never be able to play again soon because of the cancer…

The depressing thought had entered his mind, making his chest hurt just thinking about it, before he could stop himself.

"Thanks Takuya!" Tommy beamed.

Takuya quickly snapped out of his depressing thoughts, but not before Koji noticed. Something wasn't right.

"Are you alright Takuya?" Koji asked.

Everyone looked at him, confused by his question.

"Yeah," Takuya shrugged. "Just a little tired from running all the way over here." It wasn't a complete lie, Takuya reasoned, but it wasn't the complete truth either. He never liked lying to Koji. His best friend had this uncanny way of catching him in the act and ferreting out the truth.

Koji eyed him suspiciously, but let the matter drop. If Takuya wanted to talk about it then he'd tell him when he was ready. Until then, Koji decided to keep an eye on his best friend.

"So what does the little man wanna do?" Takuya asked Tommy, ignoring Koji's critical gaze.

"How about soccer?" Tommy asked enthusiastically, setting aside his new prized ball and picked up his old beat up one.

"Sounds good to me!" Takuya grinned.

"But I'm wearing a skirt!" Zoe complained.

"And I hate running," JP sighed.

"That's never stopped you two before," Koichi lightly pointed out, a small serene smile spreading across his face.

That seemed to settle the matter. All of the other kids joined in and soon they had an epic soccer game in the works with cones set up as the goal posts.

Tommy grinned. Even though Takuya had arrived late to his party, he was having an awesome birthday.

* * *

So the groups of DigiDestined are now gathered! What's going to happen now? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

* * *

Yeah, I went there readers! :D

I originally didn't start adding that little thing at the end until chapter 4, but now that I'm going back over this story, I felt that these earlier chapters needed one too! I even do it for my other Digimon crossover fic: Drowning Memories. I hope the readers that are just starting to read my story like it so far (review please!), but for those of you rereading... did you catch what I added? If you didn't that's ok, because below is what I changed/added! I think I might do one of these at the end of each newly revised chapter.

**1.)** (as i mentioned in the note at the beginning of the chapter) T.K. and J.P. are just TK and JP now.

**2.)** I added the explanation why the Digimon aren't with the Adventure 02 DigiDestined. I realized that this should be added since Willace wouldn't have Terriermon and Lopmon with him so I felt that an explanation was required. And yes it is Lopmon and not Kokomon. Lopmon is KoKomon's rookie form people. Willace just didn't know Kokomon's champion name so he just kept calling him Kokomon (the name for that Digimon we saw in the movie is actually Wendigomon, just FYI).

**3.)** I explained why the Tamers digivice is called a D-Powers. Someone harped on me that the Tamers only called their Digivices D-Powers once or twice in the entire anime (english version), so I added this explanation to satisfy critics. Satisfied peoples?

Ok, those are the major changes. I hope you all enjoyed this newly revised chapter. More are to come. Feel free to send me a private message here on FanFiction, ask me something in a review, or contact me on Facebook. I've got a new FB account just for my Shara Raizel alias as well as a page you can go to. Can't wait to hear from you!

Shara Raizel


	2. The Storm and A Shocking Meetin

Hey readers! Chapter 1 was more of a prologue, but now we get to the real story! Davis is the most centralized character in this chapter. I decided that I needed a higher authority in this story and those of you who have seen Tamers will recognize the Digimon Sovereign. They are the ones who bring our heroes to this new Digital World. Enjoy and please review chapter 2!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

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**Chapter 2: The Storm and A Shocking Meeting**

**The Digital World: Location: The Celestial Digimon's Domain**

"We need the DigiDestined," stated a white tiger creature with purple stripes and a metal facemask.

"I agree with Baihumon," agreed Azulongmon, a blue dragon Digimon with a long serpentine body decorated with silver chains.

A red flaming bird Digimon shook his head.

"No offense Baihumon, but what use are those children going to be?"

"Now Zhuqiaomon," Azulongmon sighed. "You know that these children have proven themselves. Our counter parts in the other worlds have seen them prove themselves over and over again."

The fourth and final member of the group, Ebonwumon, a giant two headed turtle with a tree growing out of his back grumbled to himself. He was the oldest of the Celestial Digimon and didn't like the idea of trusting the fate of their Digital World and all other existing worlds to a bunch of foreign children.

"Zhuqiaomon is right to be cautions," he spoke in his Irish brogue.

The phoenix Digimon puffed out his chest with pride.

"But," the ancient Digimon rasped, "Azulongmon and Baihumon are right about the children. The question is which group do we send to fight this great evil?"

Zhuqiaomon glowered at the tiger Digimon who was now beginning to look a little too smug for his liking. Ebonwumon didn't like it either.

"Don't get cocky youngster," he reproached. "As the youngest of us four I suggest you mind your manners around your elders."

"Let us not bicker," Azulongmon sighed. "There are far greater things at stake then pride."

"Exactly," Zhuqiaomon huffed. "Now back to Ebonwumon's question. Who do we send? This is not an enemy to be taken lightly."

It was quiet for a long time before they all came to the same conclusion.

"All of them."

* * *

**The Human World – Adventure DigiDestined: Location: Odaiba Park**

Davis was lying on his side at the edge of the picnic blanket that had been laid out. He was staring off across the group at Kari. He'd had a crush on her ever since he'd first laid eyes on her, but he knew now that there was no way that she liked him back the same way. She had TK.

Davis had been jealous of the blue-eyed blond and had taken an instant disliking to him the moment he realized that the two of them had a past. His dream girl belonged with someone else. He'd been childish at first, calling the other boy names like TO, TJ, TP, anything other than TK and jumped irrationally into any argument with him, but lately he had come to terms with their relationship. He'd started calling him by name and had actually become good friends with the guy… but he didn't have to like it.

Yolei had brought food from her family's convenience store and everyone else had brought something to add to the makeshift potluck. They were all laughing and catching each other up on recent events, school and reminiscing memories.

Only Davis and Tai seemed to be out of it. They were the first to see the slowly encroaching clouds on the horizon.

"What's wrong Tai?" Izzi asked, when he realized that his comment meant for the older boy had been ignored.

"Nothing," Tai frowned, his expression contradicting his own words. "But do you remember the weatherman mentioning anything about rain today?"

"Hmm… no I don't. Let me check," Izzi said.

As always, Izzi had his trusty laptop computer with him and instantly began clicking away. The few who had heard the exchange watched with very little interest, and quickly went back to conversing with the others who hadn't heard.

Izzi made a face after a moment of searching. He'd pulled up a satellite image, but there was no sign of the storm system that was now hovering overhead or any kind of heavy cloud cover in the area. Thunder rumbled in the sky and at last everyone else was awear that their plans may be ruined. There was a sudden flash of lightening and the ground seemed to crumble apart beneath them and swallow them whole.

Davis' last logical thought was to look for Kari and, sure enough, he found her in TK's arms as they fell together. The old Davis would have been petty enough to wish that it were his arms that she was in, but this older and slightly more mature Davis was just glad that she wasn't alone. TK would look after her. Or at least that's what Davis chose to believe as he fell unconscious…

* * *

**The Human World – Digimon Tamers: Location: Shinjuku Park**

Henry watched as Rika warred within herself. She knew that he was right, but sometimes the redhead was too proud for her own good.

"I don't think it's a good idea to go after all," he said finally to break the silence.

Everyone looked at him shocked. Henry shrugged. Someone had to say it. Suzie removed her hand from his with a hurt look on her face.

"But Hen-wee," she pouted. "I wanna see Lopmon. Don't you wanna see Te-wee-ermon?"

Henry sighed.

"I just don't think it's safe for us to go right now. Our parents don't know about this and remember the last time we all disappeared to the Digital World?"

Guilty faces met his all around. They remembered. It had been tough leaving their parents behind, some without any warning more than a note that wouldn't and hadn't been found until after they'd already left. Even the parents who had known about the expedition to the Digital World hadn't wanted their child to go.

"Henry's right," Ryo said unexpectedly. "I was trapped there for a year, but I don't even remember how I got there or what happened before I met Cyberdramon. My whole experience over there is a huge blur up until I met you guys. I say we wait. Maybe the Digimon can come back on their own."

"But~!" Suzie, Mako, and Ai spluttered and whined. "We wanna see them now!"

"Uh guys?" Kenta squeaked while tugging on Kazu's sleeve.

"What Kenta?" Kazu huffed.

Kenta wordlessly pointed upwards drawing everyone's attention to the sky. Dark clouds were circling overhead and the crackling of lightening could now be heard.

"When did that happen?" Jeri whispered. "It was clear only minutes ago."

"Kids!" a man's voice called out.

"Dad?" Henry and Suzie gasped, startled.

Janyu Wong had just run all the way from the laboratory he worked at. A colleague of his that headed an organization known as Hypnos informed him that there was a weird anomaly happening at the children's park. Somehow Janyu had instinctively known that his kids were there and had rushed to get them. He had nearly lost them when they had gone to the Digital world only a few weeks ago. Something told him he had to go to them and stop them from going again.

When Janyu was only half a kilometer away the ground started to quake. Suzie screamed and hugged her brother as tightly as she could. Henry held her close, determined to keep her safe from whatever was happening.

Takato glanced towards the old empty storage building in the park where his Digimon partner had once stayed. A light was glowing from within, presumably from the hole he'd discovered the portal in. As if drawn to it, Takato ran towards the light.

Henry, alarmed and concerned for his friend, picked Suzie up and chased after Takato with the others right behind him. He heard his dad call out helplessly, too far away to stop them, but Henry knew that there was no turning back. They were going back to the Digital World again and this time they didn't have a choice. Henry knew this even as the light flashed out of the hole in the ground and all the Tamers fell into the widening empty space. The only thing that Henry knew that he could do in that moment was hold his sister as closely and as tightly as possible so that wherever they ended he could look after her…

* * *

**The Human World – Frontier DigiDestined: Location: Shibuya Park**

Tommy watched his party guests leave one by one and thanked them for coming. His brother, Yutaka, was helping their parents move all of his presents to the van, but Tommy noticed how he eyed his remain friends suspiciously. Tommy sighed. Yutaka had a very gruff disposition when it came to Tommy and had viewed his little brother as spoiled and naive. Tommy had never really appreciated how his older brother looked out for him until he went to the Digital World and met Takuya and the others. What was unsettling his brother at the moment was how much older Takuya and the others were compared to the other kids Tommy had invited to the party and Tommy was sadly awear of this. He'd tried to explain it to Yutaka, but there was no real way to clear up how he knew the others without telling his brother about the Digital World and that was something that he and the other DigiDestined had agreed never to do.

"You ok Tommy?" Takuya asked.

"Yeah," Tommy smiled sadly.

Koji joined Takuya and saw where Tommy's thoughts were directed.

"Something to do with your brother?" Koji asked a little too bluntly, earning him an elbow in the ribs from Takuya. "Oww!"

"Yeah," Tommy sighed.

JP, Zoe, and Koichi had joined them as well.

"What's the matter?" JP asked.

"He doesn't approve of me being friends with you guys," Tommy explained. "He just doesn't understand and I don't think I can get him to without telling him about how we all met in the Digital world."

Takuya gave him a sympathetic pat on the back.

"He'll come around. He just doesn't know us and he's only looking after you. I know how he feels. Or have you forgotten that I have a little brother too?"

Tommy smiled. He liked Takuya. He was his idol and, as far as Tommy was concerned, Takuya was his older brother as well.

"Tommy!" Yutaka called out.

"Yeah?" Tommy answered.

"It's time to go!"

Tommy sighed. Sometimes it sucked to be the little kid.

"Thanks for coming you guys!" he smiled up at his friends.

"Anytime buddy!" Takuya grinned, giving him the thumbs up.

"This coming from the guy who was late," Zoe smirked.

Koji and Koichi coughed behind their hands and JP chuckled openly.

A sudden crackle of thunder rumbling overhead made them all look up. It had been sunny only seconds ago, but now everything was dark and eerie. Zoe rubbed the goose bumps on her arms. Something didn't feel right. Everything was suddenly too still. Tommy's parents became uneasy as well and called their son over to them, but Tommy wouldn't move. Yutaka had the urge to reach out and grab his baby brother, but he was frozen as well. There was a tension in the air and it felt that if you broke that tension by moving then everything would fall apart.

Takuya could feel his heart beating loudly in his chest, his lungs breathe in and exhale the air, but most of all he could suddenly feel the tumor. It felt heavy and as if it was expanding in his lung. He almost stopped breathing altogether, his chest hurt so badly. Then a bolt of lightening split the air with a loud deafening crack and the ground seemed to open up and swallow all six of them in an instant. Yutaka and his parents were helpless as Tommy suddenly disappeared from their sights with the other five children. One minute they were standing there, looking up at the storm, and the next they were gone and there was not a single cloud to be seen in the sky…

* * *

**The Digital World: Location: Unknown Cave Tunnel**

Davis groaned. He felt as if he'd had the stuffing knocked out of him.

"Hey Davish! Are ya up yet?" an annoying yet familiar voice nagged.

"Veemon?" Davis moaned.

"Yup!" the cheerful voice enthused.

Davis opened his eyes and found himself staring right back at his Digimon partner.

"Veemon!" Davis cried out with joy. "It's been a while!"

"Too long Davish," Veemon agreed. "You need ta visit more often."

Davis grinned. Same old Veemon. He looked around and realized that he was alone. That wasn't good. Nothing ever was when everyone was separated.

"Have you seen any of the others?" Davis asked.

"Nope," Veemon frowned, which was a rare expression for him. "One minute I'm playin' soccer at Primary Village with Wormmon, Patamon and the new baby Digimon when a weird storm hit us and the next thing I know 's I'm here and you fall out of the ceiling."

"A storm hit you guys too?" Davis mused. "If only Izzi were here. He'd have a theory."

"Izzi!" a distressed voice called out.

"Yeah, Izzi," Davis repeated and then realized that it wasn't Veemon who'd said it. "Let's go Veemon!"

"Right behind ya Davish!" Veemon said cheerily as he raced after his human down the tunnel they were in, in the direction of the voice.

They came to a chamber where tall bulky contraptions that looked like old computer systems and wires lined the rocky walls of the cave. Electrical currents caused sparks and arcs to spurt around the wires that had been torn off the walls by something that had crashed into them. A moan sounded from the far end of the room where there was the most damage.

"Izzi!" the voice cried again only this time Davis and Veemon recognized it as Izzi's Digimon partner Tentomon.

They rushed over the wreckage and found Izzi lying unconscious in a tangle of wires and circuitry. Every short hair on his head stood up from the electric shock he must have received when he got tangled up in the wires. Tentomon spotted them and cried out in relief.

"Davis! You have to help him! He just fell out of the ceiling and ending up pulling down all these wires with him. I've told him not to move because every time he does he gets shocked."

"All right Tentomon," Davis said, trying to sooth the frantic insect Digimon. "Easy. All we have to do is cut the power. Then we can move Izzi out without worrying about electrocuting him."

But that was easier said then done. Davis was no good with computers or any electronics for that matter and the best person to walk him through it was tangled in the very mess he was trying to fix! In spite of that Davis looked for a solution anyway, moving around the walls of the room praying that there was a big off switch somewhere. Veemon helped too while Tentomon remained with Izzi so that he could prevent him from moving and causing anymore harm to himself.

Davis was at the point of giving up when he looked behind one of the computer banks and ran into another boy, but not one that he knew. He looked as if he had just woken up and sure looked confused to see Davis.

"Who are you?" the boy asked, straightening the visor he was wearing.

"Actually I was just going to ask you the same question," Davis smiled. "I'm Davis."

He held out his hand and the boy took it.

"Kazu," the other grinned. "I was beginning to think I was alone here."

"Davish?" Veemon's voice echoed around the room. "Who are ya talkin' to?"

Davis was helping Kazu get out from behind the bulky contraption when Veemon came to meet him.

"Davish, who'sh that?" he asked.

"Kazu," Davis grunted as he finally pulled the boy out.

"Thanks," Kazu grinned. "Wow! You have a Digimon too! A Veemon!"

"Davish who ish thish guy?" Veemon asked.

"Dunno," Davis admitted. "Found him while I was looking for a way to turn off the power."

"Why would you want to do that?" Kazu asked.

"A friend of ours is stuck in the wires and we can't move him until we turn off the power source so that he won't get electrocuted."

Kazu thought for a moment. He wasn't too good with computers either, but he knew that most systems had an emergency kill switch.

"Wait," Davis said, looking at Kazu. "You said 'you have a Digimon too.' What did you mean by that? Are you saying you're a DigiDestined like I am?"

"A DigiDestined?" Kazu repeated. "Well, yeah, of course I am, but me and the others in my group prefer to be called Digimon Tamers. I haven't seen him in a while, but my partner is-"

"Kazu!" a robotic yet undoubtedly cheerful voice cried out.

The two boys and one Digimon turned to face the end of the large computer room and saw a large bulky iron Digimon make its way towards them.

"Guardromon!" Kazu exclaimed with a wide grin. "You're here!"

"Kazu!" the robot Digimon cried with delight. "You have no idea what I've been through! After I returned to the Digital World with the others everything seemed to be fine, but today there was a terrible electrical surge and beams from the core shot out at us and pulled us all into different fields. I arrived here and tried to perform a life form scan but there was electrical interference so I came to the source to shut it down and see if it enables me to perform my scan, but thank the Sovereign you're here!"

"No worries!" Kazu grinned. "I'm glad you're here too."

"Ah Kazu?" Davis said, trying to catch his attention.

"Oh yeah!" Kazu gasped. "Guardromon this is Davis and his Digimon partner Veemon. They have a friend who's in trouble and needs the power shut off as soon as possible. Can you do that bud?"

"Roger!" the robot chirped, all business now. If his Tamer wanted something done that was within his capabilities then Guardromon would do it. He stretched out his arm and tiny cables shot out and attached themselves to the nearest computer bank.

"Processing…" the Digimon hummed, and lights flashed across his eye sockets as he downloaded the data he needed.

"…Far wall third switch," he replied finally and pointed to the wall he mentioned.

Davis was off in a rush, but tripped over another prone figure. At first he thought he'd run into another Digimon, but when it groaned and swore, he was sure it was human. Digimon just didn't have that kind of vocabulary. At least none of the Digimon Davis had ever met. It was another boy and as this one sat up he rubbed the back of his head while staring grumpily at Davis.

"Thanks kid," he grumbled. "The one part of my body that didn't hurt now does."

Davis gaped. The boy was big, sure, but he couldn't be that much older then he was, so what was this about calling him a kid?

"Sorry about that," Davis tried to laugh it off, but that only seemed to annoy the bigger boy.

"Davish, whatcha doin' now?" Veemon cried exasperatedly. "Do ya wanna help Izzi or not?"

"Ah!" Davis panicked, suddenly jumping to his feet and rushing to the wall where he found the switch just as Guardromon had said.

"Which one again?" Davis called out.

"Third," came Guardromon's monotone reply.

"Say," the new boy said joining him. "What are you doing?"

Davis flipped the switch and the darkness was instant. This startled the big boy and he nearly knocked Davis down when he collided with him.

"Oww!" Davis complained after bumping his head into the wall.

"Sorry," the big boy grunted. "Didn't know that you were going to kill the power. I'm Junpei, by the way, but everyone calls me JP."

Davis sighed. "That's ok. It's not like I gave you any warning. Oh! And I'm Davis."

There was a thudding sound that could only have been footsteps and then a bright beam of light hit them.

"You alright Davis?" Kazu's voice asked.

The light was coming from a headlight on Guardromon's forehead. Veemon was sitting on his shoulder looking at JP curiously.

"Making more friends Davish?" Veemon asked.

"Oh yeah," Davis grinned. "I make 'em everywhere I go."

Kazu helped him up and Davis introduced JP.

"Now lets' go help Izzi before Tentomon blows a gasket," Davis sighed.

"And that's not fun," Guardromon stated knowingly.

"He was being sarcastic Guardromon," Kazu sighed. "It's a figure of speech."

"And you wonder why I find you humans to be so complex," the robot tittered.

The three boys grinned.

"Oh! Hey, do you have a Digimon?" Davis suddenly asked JP.

"Huh? What do you mean?" JP asked puzzled.

"He means do you have a Digimon partner?" Kazu asked.

"No," JP shrugged. "Never had one."

"Really?" Veemon asked. "Then how come you're here in the Digital World? At least I think that's where we are. It's sure not the human world."

"I don't know why I'm here. I was just at a friend's birthday party when some freak storm came out of nowhere. Now I'm here," JP shrugged.

"Really?" Kazu gasped. "That's what happened to me and my friends. There was this storm that came out of nowhere and then I woke up here and Davis found me."

"Speaking of finding," Tentomon's voice cried out, "Hurry up and get over here! Izzi may be seriously hurt!"

"Geeze Tentomon! We're coming already," Davis sighed. "Man that Digimon can be annoying."

"Sounds like a real nagger," JP agreed.

They finally found Izzi and with the aid of Guardromon's light and strength they quickly got Izzi out from under all those wire and cables. Tentomon wasted no time trying to revive his human partner.

"Izzi! Please speak to me!"

Izzi moaned, but other than that there was no reply. He was out and the only thing that could be done was to wait for him to wake up on his own…

* * *

Three boys from three different circles of DigiDestined meet but where's everyone else? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

* * *

Yay! another updated and revised chappy! Did you like it? If so please review!

I know that there weren't too many changes to this chapter other than the added ending question/announcement, grammatical changes and the occasional altered sentence. But aside from the usual title and name changes mentioned last chapter, those of you rereading this story will find that I finally added in Veemon's lisp. He didn't have it in my story until chapter 37 and there was a very good reason for that... I SUCK AT SPEACH IMPEDIMENTS! Now that I'm going back and rewriting these chapters, I can add things like that in there.


	3. Digivices and Cold Feet

Chapter 3 is here! Yay! If you all recall what I said about chapter 1, this story started off with all of the first four seasons meeting up in this story, but that it got too confusing with so many characters with the same name that I had to cut out the season 1 cast. I hope I've edited everything out and altered it correctly. Please let me know if I didn't or if something is unclear in this story and I'll fix it at soon as possible.

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

**Chapter 3: Digivices and Cold Feet**

**The Digital World: Location: The Computer Chamber**

Izzi woke up with a huge headache. It didn't help that Tentomon was blabbering nonstop until he was reassured that Izzi was going to be fine. Izzi was relieved to see that he wasn't alone in this strange place and he was certainly glad to see Davis, but quite honestly he wished that Joe were there instead. Davis was too much like Tai and was often rash. He needed someone more calm and patient. A long time ago Joe would have been the last one to turn to, but in recent years Joe had gained confidence and very useful medical and resourceful knowledge, living up to his Crest of Reliability. In his current condition Izzi would have preferred to have the soon-to-be doctor with him, but he'd just have to make do with Davis.

"Where are we?" Izzi asked after he was frustratingly unable to come to a conclusion on his own. This headache of his was insane!

"I was hoping you'd have an idea," Davis sighed.

'_Odd_,' Izzi thought. '_Davis seems down about something_.'

"All I know is that we're either underground or in some sort of cave," an unfamiliar voice said.

Izzi realized that Davis and their Digimon partners weren't the only company he had. Two other boys and a Guardromon were sitting nearby. It was then that he realized that their light source was coming from the spotlights on either side of the robot Digimon's head. The boy wearing a blue visor was the one who had spoken.

"And they are…?" Izzi inquired after no one bothered to introduce him to the other boys.

"Oh!" Davis gasped, realizing his error. "Izzi, this is Kazu and JP. I found them while trying to turn off the power so that we could untangle you from those cables."

Izzi faintly recalled that while falling he had seen the cables on the wall. He must have dragged them down with him instinctively to slow his descent and received a sudden shock when a few of them snapped free from their housings. No wonder he didn't feel good.

"Oh… Thanks," Izzi mumbled as he tried to stand but his legs felt like jelly and he instantly fell back down.

"Hey!" Davis yelped as he caught his faint friend. "Easy, Izzi. You were electrocuted, you know."

Izzi moaned.

Introductions were given once again for Izzi's sake, even though it was redundant, and after a few more minutes Izzi felt well enough to stand. Walking was another matter entirely. Kazu offered to have Guardromon carry him and Izzi concluded that it would be idiocy to refuse.

He had Guardromon take him back to the computer's power switch and once the power was back on he hooked up his surprisingly still intact and functioning laptop to the nearest computer terminal to access the mainframe and hacked his way into the system where he could try to access any information that could give him a hint as to their location. He fiddled with the system's settings and reset the power's surges so that there was no longer an excess of energy flowing through the cables. He eventually found a map of the layout of the area they were currently in. It appeared that they were in a vast series of tunnels. It reminded him of the time that he had been in temple ruins on File Island after their first enemy, Devimon, had split it apart in an attempt to separate the DigiDestined. The ruins had been a labyrinth just like the one they were currently in only this one was far more complex.

Satisfied with his work for the moment Izzi disconnected his computer and turned to his waiting companions.

"It's useless to remain here. Guardromon, could you run that life forms reading that you said you had attempted? There shouldn't be any electrical interference this time."

The robot Digimon obliged and ran the scan.

"My scans are picking up the seven life forms that are currently in this room."

"In other words, you've found our life readings buddy," Kazu laughed.

Izzi pulled up the map he had downloaded from the network and hooked his computer up to the Digimon. With Guardromon's permission he synced their systems so that whatever Guardromon picked up on his scanners Izzi's laptop would process the information automatically, preventing the need to continually hook it up to the Digimon. Now he'd have the life form readings and not just Digivice signals.

Kazu wasn't sure he liked the computer geek messing with his Digimon partner and ordering him around, but he looked as if he knew what he was doing so Kazu remained silent. The weird redhead could be his key to finding his friends and getting out of this place so he could deal with the other boy's tampering... for now.

Izzi suddenly cried out with joy.

"Hey guys! I'm getting our digivice signals. Four of the seven readings that are in this chamber have an overlapping digivice signal! Alright! I'm no longer getting interference from the power source here. It seems our system synchronization is working as well Guardromon."

Then he suddenly frowned.

"Odd… I wonder why they are different. You see these four different kinds of readings?" he asked.

They nodded.

"Pull out you digivices," he demanded suddenly, revealing his own digivice.

"Digivices?" JP repeated, confused as they rustled through their pockets and pulled out their own version of the digivice.

Izzi realized that all four of them had distinctly different models. His was a small white device that was square with rounded sides curved in at the corners with a mini square screen within a circle in the center of the device. There was a short antenna in the top curved in left corner, two blue buttons to the right of the screen and one on the left.

Davis' digivice was white and oval shaped with a square screen in the top half of the device. The bottom half had a round button that looked like the toggle buttons on some video game systems that were used to scroll over to select something or move characters around. Next to the screen on the right there were two black buttons that formed an oval shape together. One yellow button was between them and the toggle button. Its sides had blue grips and an antenna was positioned on the top left of the device.

Kazu's digivice was like a rounded T. It had a square screen in the center of the orange circle. On the top of the T there was an orange strap and clasp that looked like it could hook onto something like a keychain. Below the screen in the bottom of the T there was a toggle button like the one on Davis' D3 only this one had one orange button on the left and right side of the circle. One other button was located near the bottom left corner of the mini-screen. There was a slit in the bottom half of the device where it looked like you could swipe or scan something though it.

JP's digivice was blue and had a shape similar to Davis' but it was larger and more angular. It had a mini-screen in the top third of the device inside a yellow hexagon with pronounced corners. The bottom half had a yellow grip, there were two white buttons side by side above one little yellow one, and one white button on the left side of the device.

"Wow," Davis whistled looking from his device to Kazu and JP's. "I've never seen digivices like that."

"My friends and I call them D-Powers," Kazu smiled. "All Digimon Tamers have these. Although Izzi's digivice looks a lot like the ones from the TV show."

"TV show?" Izzi and Davis blinked.

"Well ours are called D-Tectors," JP frowned looking at his device. He had thought that all of the D-Tectors had turned back into cell phones once they had left the Digital World that last time. When had it made the change back?

"Fascinating," Izzi breathed. "None of the other DigiDestined around the world had devices like those either. They all looked like mine. You guys are Japanese right? So where are you from?"

Kazu looked at Izzi oddly before answering.

"Shinjuku, Tokyo."

"Shibuya, Tokyo," JP answered hesitantly.

"We're from Odaiba," Davis stated. "What does that have to do with anything Izzi?"

"Don't you find it odd Davis that there are other DigiDestined in Japan that we haven't met?" Izzi questioned. "Think about it. Especially after the Oikawa incident and all those Digimon entered our world? Don't you think we would have noticed other children battling Digimon in our own backyard?"

"What are you talking about?" Kazu gapped. "It wasn't a Digimon that attacked the world. It was that computer program, the D-Reaper, that went nuts and nearly destroyed everything."

"I have no idea what either of you guys are talking about," JP frowned. "No Digimon ever came into our world. I admit that one came close, but it was stopped."

"Wha?" Davis cried, clutching his head. "Izzi what's going on here?"

Everyone looked at the older boy who was deep in thought.

"I see now," he mused after a few minutes.

"Well I don't," Davis, Kazu and JP grumbled in unison.

"I think that the reason our digivices are different is because we come from different worlds. Or different realities. That's why our digivices are so different and so are the readings. We all live in Tokyo yet none of our stories match up with the other two accounts of the Digimon encounters within our world. These digivices are merely one form of proof that there are different realities. Different realities and, therefore, different Digital Worlds that needed their own group of DigiDestined to help solve their problems. You called yourself a Digimon Tamer right, Kazu?"

"Yeah…" the visor boy said slowly as if he was unsure of Izzi's mental state.

"What does your group call themselves?" Izzi suddenly asked JP.

"Huh?" the big boy gaped. "Uh… DigiDestined. Or at least that's what we were called when we were in the… uh _our_ Digital World."

Izzi nodded.

"Do you guys not have Digimon partners?" he asked when he recalled that no Digimon was accompanying JP.

"Well we had Neemon and Bokumon," JP mused, "but I wouldn't call them our partners. Friend's sure, but they were next to useless in a fight."

Izzi looked thoughtfully at JP and that made him uncomfortable. He wasn't sure what he'd do when Izzi finally asked him how his friends were of any use without a Digimon partner to their version of the Digital World. That is, assuming that Izzi was right about them being from different realities with different corresponding Digital Worlds.

Before Izzi had the chance to ask him, however, his laptop went off.

"Looks like we're getting new digivice readings," he announced.

Guardromon ran a scan and found more life form readings too, but this time it was strange. There were four life form readings on Izzi's laptop, but there were five digivice readings separate from them. Before, each digivice reading had overlapped one life form reading. Izzi glanced at their current location to find that it was still true.

"Are you getting this Guardromon?" he asked.

"Affirmative," the robot beeped. "Most unusual."

"What is?" Davis asked.

"I'm hooked into Guardromon's life form scanner and we've picked up four life forms, but there are five digivice signals. Two yellow, one orange, one red and one blue. After a quick analysis of our readings and our current positions, I can assume that the yellow signals belong to those of with a digivice like mine, the orange must belong to those who have Davis' model, the blue belongs to those with Kazu's model, and the red signals belong to those with JP's model. …They're not too far away. I suggest that we go check it out."

The other three nodded and off they went…

* * *

**The Digital World: Location: The Ice Cavern**

Joe sighed inwardly since he could not do so externally. He, Cody, Michael, and two others were frozen solid inside a block of ice. Outside he could see Gomamon with three other Digimon pacing back and forth trying to figure out how to unfreeze them. How did he get into these kinds of fixes? One moment the three of them were falling and the next they crash land with two strangers in a freezing icy cavern. One of them was a boy a few years younger then Cody with a large orange hat and had introduced himself as Tommy. The other, a boy named Kenta, reminded Joe a little bit of himself when he was younger, or maybe it was just the glasses the boy wore. The point was that they were all clueless as to how they had gotten there or how to leave. Shortly after exploring the place they had found their Digimon companions.

Cody's Digimon, Armadillomon, spoke with a southern accent that reminded Joe of the old John Wayne western movies.

Joe had never actually met Michael's partner Digimon, Betamon, until now. He looked like a green tadpole with blue wavy stripes on his back, red eyes, four pronged legs, a white underbelly and an orange fin that stuck straight up out of his back, doubling his height.

Kenta had a tiny pink Digimon that reminded Joe of a mini-Gomamon. It had green eyes, wings, a gold collar, and a red heart on its tiny chest. It had no legs, but at least had two hand less arms (or at least Joe assumed they were arms). The mini Digimon had squealed with delight and zoomed around Kenta's head when he saw him.

Joe noticed that Tommy alone had no Digimon partner to reunite with but he didn't seem to be missing one either. He had merely looked at the others curiously. After the short reunion the ground had suddenly begun to shake and a cold blast of air separated Digimon from DigiDestined and then next thing any of them knew the five humans were frozen alive, yet were somehow able to breath and see what was going on outside their block of ice. Joe prayed that the others were here too and that they would find him soon. He didn't like the idea of spending the rest of his life as a popsicle.

* * *

**The Digital World: Location: An Icy Tunnel Outside the Ice Cavern**

Davis, Kazu and JP had followed Izzi up to the wall with Guardromon bringing up the rear. Davis and Izzi were a little frustrated because neither of their Digimon had been able to Digivolve to the next level and blast through it. Even Guardromon, a champion level Digimon, had been unable to put a noticeable dent in the icy wall.

"According to these readings our friends are just on the other side of this wall," Izzi was saying. "We've tried normal Digivolving so now we'll have to hope that Armor Digivolving works. If not, then we are really in for it."

"Armor Digivolving?" JP asked, confused. "What's that?"

"It's a rare form of Digivolving that only Davis and a few other DigiDestined friends of ours are capable of doing," Izzi explained. "In our world it's an ancient form of Digivolving that allows a Digimon to Digivolve when all others can't."

"How come only Davis can do it?" Kazu asked, thinking that Davis didn't look that special to be granted what was obviously a rare ability.

"Well to tell you the truth, Davis hasn't been a DigiDestined for nearly as long as I have. There were eight of us originally, but two and a half years after we original DigiDestined defeated the evil Dark Masters and returned to our world, our leader, Tai, got an urgent message for help from his partner Agumon via his digivice. I'm still unsure of how he got there but he was somehow able to return to Digi-world. He found out that another human had entered Digi-world calling himself the Digimon Emperor. He had enslaved hundreds of Digimon and used his black digivice and structures he called control spires to prevent Digimon from Digivolving."

He paused here and glanced back at Davis. No one was comfortable bringing up Ken's past as the Emperor, but it was easier to do so when he wasn't there. Davis took it particularly hard because the two of them were now best friends.

"What?" Kazu and JP exclaimed. "Why would he do that? Didn't he know that Digimon are living, feeling creatures?"

"No," Davis said coldly. "He didn't. He regrets his actions as the Digimon Emperor to this day. It still bothers him and it wasn't his fault for the most part."

This last sentence was said rather sadly, earning him looks from everyone.

"The point," Izzi said to resume his story, "is that Agumon couldn't Digivolve even with Tai there. Two others, Gatomon and Patamon, found them and they ran for cover inside a cave where Tai messaged the rest of us for help. Inside that cave was a Digi-egg with the Crest of Courage on it. Tai, being the _DigiDestined_ of Courage, tried to pick it up but it wouldn't budge. Instead, three lights shot out of it and zoomed away.

At the time, I had received Tai's message for help and came to Davis' middle school to use the computers. I met Davis for the first time when I found Tai's sister, Kari, and another DigiDestined, TK on my way to the computer lab. Two others, Yolei and Cody were with them, which was just my luck because I was looking for Yolei anyway since she was made the new computer club president after I graduated to high school. With Yolei's permission we gained access to the computer lab and after Yolei and Cody left I was able to open a digi-port to the Digital World. While TK, Kari and I where getting ready to enter the portal, Davis was arguing with us about letting him come along, but we pointed out that he needed a digivice. It was around that time the computer flashed and three new upgraded versions of the digivice shot out of the computer. Davis got a blue one, Yolei got a red one and Cody got a yellow one."

Davis took over the story from there.

"I was excited because I remembered Tai mentioning the Digital World one time and the others had just been proven wrong about me being able to go. But anyways, Izzi ended up staying behind while I accompanied TK and Kari to Digi-world for the first time in my life. When we got there I had no clue what to expect. We quickly found Tai and he took us to the Digi-egg. TK and Kari tried to pick it up, but they couldn't. Then Tai suggested that I have a go and I picked it up without a problem. After I picked the Digi-egg up Veemon come out of the spot where it had been."

The blue dino Digimon looked up at his partner.

"I'd been waitin' a long time for someone ta move that egg. It felt so good ta be free! We've had some pretty awesome adventures together since then haven't we?"

"Yup!" Davis agreed.

"Alright, I'm with you so far," Kazu said, "But how did releasing Veemon help the situation? The Digimon couldn't digivolve right?"

"Right," Izzi said picking up the story again. "The digi-egg that Davis had picked up was a special egg and enabled him to use an ancient form of DigiVolution known as Armor Digivolving. With the Digi-egg of Courage Veemon is able to Digivolve with the attributes of Tai's crest. When Yolei and Cody came to the Digital world for their first time another DigiDestined, Sora, and I accompanied them. The same thing happened to them that Davis went through. Yolei was able to move the Digi-egg of Love and got her partner Hawkmon, and Cody was able to move the Digi-egg of Knowledge and get his partner Armadillomon. All three of them have the power to use the digi-eggs to Armor Digivolve when the other Digimon can't. TK and Kari also found armored digi-eggs of their own with their crests on them. They were able to lift them, unlike Tai, Sora and I, and their digivices changed to the upgraded ones that Davis, Yolei, Cody and the- ah, Ken had. So now their Digimon, Gatomon and Patamon, are able to Armor Digivolve as well. As for the other crests that had belonged to the other three DigiDestined, Davis, Yolei and Cody found their corresponding digi-eggs, gaining a second Armor DigiVolutions. Davis found the Digi-egg of Friendship, Yolei has the Digi-egg of Sincerity, and Cody got the Digi-egg of Reliability. And speaking of Armor Digivolving, Davis I want you to try to use the Digi-egg of Courage to knock down this ice wall. We need Flamedramon's fire-rocket attack to melt it."

"Ready Davish?" Veemon asked his partner. "Let's show these guysh what Armor Digivolving ish about!"

Davis pulled out his D-3 and selected the right digi-egg on his D-Terminal, a small handheld messaging device that was getting popular in his world.

"Digi-Armor Energize!" He yelled, his digivice flashing in his hand and Veemon glowed golden yellow, as all Digimon should when digivolving.

"Veemon Armor Digivolve to…!"

The light flashed, dissipated, and revealed a taller Veemon with chest, thigh, foot, hand and head armor with a spike sticking out of his forehead. The armor had a flame design on it like you'd see on hot-rods and motorcycles.

"Flamedramon!" he announced in a deeper voice without the lisp. "The Fire of Courage!"

"Whoa!" JP, Kazu and Guardromon gasped.

"Fire-rocket!" the evolved Veemon cried as he made a punching motion at the ice wall and fireballs shot from where his hands should have been.

It melted some of the ice, but there was plenty of wall left.

He growled, irked, and called out the same attack only this time he charged at the wall with a flame-enshrouded figure. The wall melted nicely over his enflamed body, causing the air to mist.

"Nice work Flamedramon," Davis grinned.

His Digimon gave a satisfied sigh and began to smooth out the hole in the icy wall so that the newly made entrance to the next chamber was large enough for everyone, especially Guardromon, to go through.

It was freezing inside and Davis' goggles frosted over. The space was empty for the most part and was made entirely out of ice. They stepped tentatively inside looking for the friends they hoped were in here.

"Davis!" a voice with a southern twang echoed through the chamber.

"Armadillomon?" Davis called out. "Where are you?"

"Right here," the armadillo Digimon cried as he suddenly popped out of the ground.

"He's not alone!" another voice cried out and Gomamon appeared with Betamon and Marineangemon.

"If Gomamon, Armadillomon and Betamon are here, then so are Joe, Cody, and Michael, right?" Davis asked.

"If Marineangemon is here then so is Kenta," Kazu cried and the tiny pink Digimon whirled around his head at the sound of his partner's name.

JP kneeled down by the Digimon.

"Was there anyone else? A kid without a Digimon partner?" he asked.

The four Digimon looked at each other.

"There was a little boy like Cody," Armadillomon said slowly. "He wore a big orange hat."

"That's Tommy!" JP exclaimed.

"He looked pretty young," Gomamon commented.

"He just turned ten," JP sighed. "Today was his birthday, or at least it was in our world before we came here."

"Where are they?" Izzi asked, concerned.

The four Digimon looked at each other again.

"Frozen," came the unison reply.

They led them to the ice chunk where their DigiDestined partners were frozen.

"I see," Izzi mused. "The reason we only picked up four life form readings and five digivice signals was because the DigiDestined were encased in ice. Guardromon's life forms scan looks for heat signatures."

"Are they alright?" JP asked worriedly as he stood in front of the small boy Armadillomon had described.

"I think so," Izzi said. "The Digital World isn't like our own."

"Flamedramon," Davis said, "Melt the ice. Let's get them out of there."

"You want it quick or slow?" Flamedramon asked as his armored hands burst into flame.

"Slow," Izzi said. "A major change in temperature could send them into shock."

"Got it," Flamedramon said as he put fist to ice.

It was a nerve rackingly slow process. Flamedramon worked from the top to the bottom and after twenty minutes Joe's head was free. He took a few deep lungfuls of air before he thanked the Digimon.

"Thanks," he sighed with relief. "You don't know how weird it was to be trapped in ice, but not suffocate."

Izzi caught his friend and the other four boys up to speed on their current situation after their heads were unfrozen as well.

"That makes sense I guess," Joe sighed, his entire upper half now free.

The other boys were still up to their armpits in ice, but at least they were fine. As fine as being frozen in ice goes anyways. Flamedramon looked tired, but he kept on going with Davis cheering him on and the occasional encouragement from the boys still encased in the ice. When he finally did finish he immediately De-Digivolved back into Veemon.

"Nice work buddy," Davis said.

He picked up his collapsed Digimon and carried him over the reunited group where introductions were being given once again.

* * *

Slowly but surely the gang is coming together! Who will they find next? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

* * *

Yay! Another revised chapter. Like last chapter, not much was added. But I did insert a few sentences and altered some of Izzi's speech about the alternate realities and digivices. I didn't think much needed to be changed so this one stayed basically the same as it was before minus some minor spelling errors. Hope you new readers like my story so far and that you re-readers are liking what you see in these revisions. More to come in chapter 4! Enjoy! Please review if you haven't already. ^_^


	4. Sticky Reunion and Burning Determination

Hey Readers! Here is chapter 4! Yay! Things are moving fast! At least they are for me. I hope you all enjoy this next chapter in the Ultimate Gathering of the Digidestined!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

**Chapter 4: The Sticky Reunion and Burning Determination**

**The Digital World: Location: The Forest Cavern**

While Joe and the others were being unfrozen by Flamedramon, Mimi and Yolei were waking up in the middle of a small clearing in the middle of a forest.

"Mmm," Mimi mumbled as she sat up. "Where are we?"

Yolei looked around at the dense foliage all around them, noting that instead of a sky, there was a cave ceiling.

"Definitely not the park," she said, cleaning off the lenses of her large round glasses.

There was then a sudden rustling in the brush to their left so they jumped to their feet, readying themselves to run if they had to.

"Oh good," a familiar voice said. "You're awake. We were worried."

"Palmon?" Mimi gasped as her Digimon partner emerged from the forest.

She was with a bird Digimon with white and reddish-brown feathers wearing a band on it's head with a feather sticking up in the back.

"And Hawkmon!" Yolei cried as she ran to embrace her Digimon partner.

"Yes, it's good to see you too Yolei," Hawkmon gasped, "but your crushing my wings! Besides, we need to get moving. Something else is in here with us!"

Mimi and Yolei immediately became serious and focused. They were in unknown territory and who knew what kind of evil Digimon lurked in these woods. They moved quickly into the forest and followed Palmon who insisted that she had an idea of how to get out of the cavern.

"Kyaa!" a voice screamed. "Somebody help me!"

"This way," Mimi said as she took off in the direction of the call for help.

Yolei followed, but she had a sinking suspicion that they were walking into a trap. It was no use talking Mimi out of it though because if someone was in need, Mimi was that selfless person who'd go out of her way to help.

They ended up in another clearing that Mimi swore was where the voice had come from, but they could see no one there.

"Help!" the voice cried again, loud and clear. It was a girl's voice. "Up here!"

Mimi and Yolei looked up and gasped.

A blond girl in purple was stuck in a large spider web high up off the ground.

"Please help me," she begged, wriggling in the web, but getting nowhere.

Mimi and Yolei weren't the only ones who had responded to the girl's desperate call. There was a rustling on the opposite end of the clearing where Mimi and Yolei stood. A boy with a small girl in tow had come too.

"Hen-wee," the little girl giggled. "That lady stuck in tha air."

"Suzie don't be rude," the boy softly scolded. "She needs help."

Two Digimon emerged from behind them. Both looked like a cross between a dog and rabbit. One was a creamy color with one horn on his forehead, two green horizontal stripes on his long ears, green tipped ears, hands, feet, and a green marking around his neck. The other one looked the same, but had different colors. It was light brown with pink markings and it had three horns on its forehead instead of one.

Yolei gasped, pointing at the cream and green colored one.

"They have a Terriermon!"

The boy reacted, noticing Yolei and Mimi for the first time.

"How do you know that's what he's called?" he asked.

"Because I've met one before," Yolei answered. "Our friend Willace has one."

"This is Lopmon!" the little girl squealed delightedly as she hugged the brown and pink one.

"Hello," Mimi smiled. "I'm Mimi and this is Yolei, my partner Palmon, and Yolei's partner Hawkmon."

The boy gave a curt bow.

"I'm Henry and this is my little sister Suzie."

"Heh-low!" the little girl beamed.

"And I'm Zoe! Now if all the introductions are over can someone _please_ get me out of here!" the girl in the web cried out incredulously. After all, how could they just stand there chatting when she was in need of some serious help?

"Oh dear," Mimi mumbled. "Just how are we going to do that?"

Zoe sighed. "I don't care how. Just get me out!"

"She noisy," Suzie complained to her brother.

Henry looked up to the cavern ceiling, praying the ground would just swallow him again. He knew Suzie was only five years old, but he wished she had just a little tact.

"How are you going to get her down?" a voice called out. "Well why don't we start by getting you all up there first!"

Suddenly all eight of them were hoisted into the air by invisible threads. The four children were thrown into the web Zoe was in and the four Digimon were thrown into a separate net hanging from a nearby tree. A vicious cackling filled the air and a large spider with gaping jaws and pincers hovered above the webs.

"It's a Dokugumon!" Mimi gasped.

The spider Digimon cackled again.

"Ah, what sweet specimens I now have to eat," she sighed. "It will all be over soon. Just relax!"

She opened her gaping jaws and a gas flowed toward the helpless DigiDestined, its affects knocking them out one by one, but before Yolei lost consciousness she managed to dig out her D-Terminal and type an S.O.S. She only hoped someone was within range to receive her message.

* * *

**The Digital World: Location: The Ice Cavern**

Once completely free of the ice, Joe began inspecting Izzi's condition. Davis had told him about what had happened in the computer chamber. He insisted on making sure his friend was all right before they moved on to find the others. There was a reason he was going to medical school after all. After treating a few minor burns that Izzi had received when he'd been electrocuted, he was sure that his friend was in no danger. Joe then moved on and checked Cody, Kenta, and Tommy over just to make sure that they were fine after their little ice escapade.

It was relatively quiet until a sudden beeping sound echoed around the chamber. Izzi was confused at first because the sound wasn't coming from his computer.

"Oh!" Davis exclaimed. "It's me. I'm receiving a message."

He pulled out his D-Terminal just as Cody's, Joe's and Izzi's went off as well.

"It's from Yolei," Cody announced. "It looks like she's in trouble. All it says is 'S.O.S.'"

"Then we'd better hurry," Izzi agreed. "Guardromon, can you run another life forms scan?"

The robot nodded and expanded the range of his search.

"Got it," Izzi muttered as he focused on the area where Guardromon had picked up nine new life form readings. It was too far away to get a digivice reading, but Izzi was positive that that was where they'd find Yolei and whoever was with her. The D-Terminals could only send messages to each other over a certain distance without a boost to a Wi-Fi connection. He inputted the shortest route to the area and got directions quickly.

Veemon was too tired to Armor Digivolve again so soon, but luckily Cody also had a Digimon partner that could Armor Digivolve.

"Cody, we need Digmon," Izzi announced as he led the group to the wall that would put them in the shortest tunnel that would lead them to Yolei's location.

The boy nodded and pulled out his D-Terminal and D-3.

"Digi-Armor Energize!" he cried in his soft voice.

Armadillomon glowed like Veemon had when he Armor Digivolved.

"Armadillomon Armor Digivolve to…"

He was then replaced with a tall yellow beetle looking Digimon with a drill for a nose, and drills for pincers on each "hand". The crest on Knowledge was scrawled on his back in purple with a bunch of other markings.

"Digmon! The Drill of Knowledge!"

Again, this form of Digivolving was impressive to the others.

"Wow," Kenta muttered to Kazu. "That was just like the Digimon in the TV show!"

"Pretty cool huh?" Kazu beamed back. "I've got Digmon's Gold Rush modify card in my deck too."

Michael, JP and Joe happened to be standing nearby during this exchange. They shot the two boys' a questioning glance, but their attention soon went back to Izzi, who was now giving instructions to the Armored Digimon.

"Drill right here," Izzi said, indicating a certain spot on the wall.

Digmon nodded. "Stand back! Rock Cracking!"

The Digimon dove nose first, with arms extended, and began to drill speedily through the icy wall. Once he was done drilling and everyone had made it through the hole he'd made, Izzi took the lead once more. When they got closer to the other cluster of signals on Guardromon's life form readings, Izzi's computer went off, indicating that there was one yellow, one orange, one red and two blue digivice readings. This encouraged the group to hurry up even more and soon they reached the end of the tunnel and entered an underground forest.

"Whoa," Kenta gasped.

"You said it," Kazu agreed.

"Only in Digi-World," Joe sighed.

"Mimi!" a voice called out from somewhere inside the foliage.

"That was Palmon! This way!" Izzi cried.

They all rushed into a clearing where Izzi was getting the digivice readings, but no one was there.

"It's Izzi, Michael and Joe!" Palmon's voice cried from above.

"Davis and Cody too!" hooted another voice.

"Kazu and Kenta!" another two voices chorused.

Everyone looked up and were shocked to see the prone bodies of their friends hanging limp within the spider's web. In a nearby tree Palmon, Hawkmon, Terriermon and Lopmon were hanging in a net made of the same kind of web.

"What happened here Palmon?" Joe asked.

Palmon and Hawkmon went into a rapid explanation, wasting no time.

"Hurry," Palmon cried after their brief exchange. "You have to get us out of here before Dokugumon returns!"

The web was too high up for anyone to do anything for their friends just yet, but they were able to get the Digimon out of the net with Michael's pocketknife.

"We have to wake them up," Izzi sighed as he looked up at Mimi and Yolei. "If they were awake then it would be easier to facilitate a rescue. Unfortunately whatever method we use will alert Dokugumon and give us only minutes to get them down. We need a plan."

"I have an idea if anyone wants to hear it," Kenta said shyly. "Our Digimon can blast the web loose. If we wake your friends with a loud noise of some kind we can tell them to brace themselves just before we cut the web's supports. Then in mid fall we could catch them."

"Sounds simple enough Kenta," Izzi agreed. "And simple is usually best in these types of situations"

Davis nodded.

"We can use the net that the Digimon were trapped in," he added. "It's the same material as the web, which seems to be holding up pretty well. I say we cut them out of one web only to catch them in another."

"Sounds perfect," Joe agreed. "But now how are we going to wake them up?"

"Yeah," Gomamon agreed with his partner. "Kari's not here and even if she was she doesn't have her whistle anymore."

"Whistle?" Tommy repeated blinking. "Oh!"

Everyone looked at the little boy.

"What is it Tommy?" JP asked.

Tommy reached down into his shirt and pulled out the whistle Takuya had given him for his birthday. He grinned.

"All right Tommy!" Kazu yipped. "Go for it man!"

Tommy nodded, took a deep breath, and blew as hard as he could into the whistle. The ringing sound rang throughout the entire forest and continued ringing in everyone's ears long after Tommy had stopped. They waited with baited breath to see if Tommy's efforts had been worth it. Finally they saw movement. Mimi moaned and Yolei grunted as she tried to stretch. Suzie had started crying when she realized that she couldn't move and Henry tried to comfort her, but he couldn't much move either. Zoe yawned then started to squirm, but made as much progress as the others.

"Hey girls and Henry!" Kazu yelled up. "We're going to cut you loose and catch you guys in this net! Brace yourselves."

The captives barely had time to register the information Kazu had just supplied them before the attempts to cut the net began.

"Feather Strike!" Hawkmon cried as he threw his head-feather like a boomerang near Yolei and Mimi.

"Bunny Blast!" Terriermon spat energy spheres at the section of the net by Henry, Suzie and Zoe.

"Blazing Ice!" Lopmon cried before spitting fine ice crystals up at the web, making the final blow before the whole works came crashing down. The waiting DigiDestined below pulled out the net as far as it would go and caught their friends with relative ease. It was getting them unstuck that became the problem. It took agonizingly long minutes, minutes that brought Dokugumon closer.

"Aww, my hair!" Mimi, Yolei, and Zoe cried in unison once unstuck.

Suddenly there was a cackle and Dokugumon was back.

"I've had just about enough of her!" Yolei growled. "Hawkmon!"

"I'm ready Yolei!" her Digimon replied.

"Wait!" Izzi cried and grabbed Yolei's arm. "Have him Armor Digivolve! Normal digivolving is impossible right now."

Hearing this, Henry clutched his digivice, staring at Dokugumon with a frustrated glare. He'd tried to help Terriermon digivolve the moment Dokugumon had reappeared, but it hadn't worked. Now he knew why.

'_Looks like I'll just have to work with Terriermon as he is then_,' Henry thought, trading a glance with his partner.

He then tried swiping a modify card through his D-Power, but that didn't work either. Henry ground his teeth in frustration as he noticed that Kenta and Kazu had also failed to activate their own modify cards as well. It appeared that only this other group's Armor Digivolving technique worked in this maze. It reminded Henry of the TV show. It had been a while since he'd actually watched the Digimon series, but something about these other kids and their Digimon struck him as familiar…

Yolei, meanwhile, didn't bother asking Izzi for an explanation about digivolving methods. She just wanted to take Dokugumon down. "Alright then. Hawkmon, Halsemon should do the trick."

"Indeed," the hawk Digimon nodded.

"Get in there and help him out, Digmon!" Cody told his partner.

"You too Veemon!" Davis said.

"Right!" both Rookie Digimon agreed.

Yolei and Davis looked at each other as they drew their digivices.

"Digi-Armor Energize!" they cried in unison.

Hawkmon and Veemon glowed bright gold before changing.

"Hawkmon Armor Digivolve to…!"

"Veemon Armor Digivolve to…!"

Hawkmon came down on four legs looking like a mutant bird fused with a four-legged beast. The upper half of his face and over the back of his neck was covered with a long helmet that had wings sprouting from the sides. The Crest of Love was etched into it on his forehead.

"Halsemon, the Wings of Love!"

Veemon was changing into his other Armor DigiVolution form. He came down on all fours as well and was covered in black-grey armor from the front shoulders down to his rear, leaving his blue tail exposed. He had a black grey facemask that covered the top portion of his face with a lightening blot shaped horn coming out of his forehead. The Crest of Friendship was emblazed on his chest.

"Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!"

The three Armored Digimon attacked together to fend off Dokugumon.

"Thunder Blast!" Raidramon growled, spitting out a bolt of blue lightening.

"Tempest Wing!" Halsemon cried as he spun so fast a tornado formed.

"Gold Rush!" Digmon cried before launching his drills like rockets.

The spider Digimon let out a shriek of pain and anger as she came crashing down onto the forest floor and disintegrated into tiny bits of data.

"Alright!" Davis, Cody and Yolei cheered.

Once everyone was reintroduced Izzi caught Yolei, Mimi, and Henry up on what was going on while Kenta kept little Suzie busy. Kazu was telling Guardromon to run another life forms scan to see if any more of their friends were nearby.

Zoe found herself sneaking off to the side to sit between JP and Tommy. She knew that the absence of a Digimon partner for the three of them had not gone unnoticed and she wanted to find out what had been said to explain that.

"Nothing has been explained," JP muttered so that only Zoe and Tommy could hear. "Izzi tried to ask me when we met but then he got sidetracked by digivice readings."

"Why don't we just tell them?" Tommy suggested.

"Too many questions that are hard to explain," Zoe said. "We should be focusing on finding our other friends anyways. I'm hoping we won't have to answer any questions until we find Takuya, Koji and Koichi."

JP nodded. "Those three have an even better understanding of our situation then we do. I say we just kick back and let Izzi track down our friends. Then we'll talk."

"What's going on?" Tommy asked, noticing that everyone was starting to gather around Izzi again.

"Maybe they found more of our friends!" Zoe exclaimed.

"All right everyone!" Izzi was saying. "I want to know how many others we should be looking for. My group is missing six: Tai, Matt, TK, Kari, Ken, and Willace."

"We're missing six as well," Henry stated for his group. "Takato, Rika, Ryo, Jeri, Ai and Mako."

"We're only missing three," JP said, speaking up before Zoe could. "Takuya, Koji and Koichi."

Izzi nodded as he typed the data into his computer.

"There is another chamber up ahead with massive amounts of heat readings," Izzi explained. "Guardromon and I am unable to confirm whether any of these readings are human or not, but I am going on the assumption that some of them are. We can't take the chance that they aren't. When we get closer we'll hopefully get a reading on any digivices in that area. Let's go."

Everyone sighed but followed him once more. Many were tired and wanted to take a longer rest, but they knew that finding their missing friends was their number one priority. There was always the possibility that some Digimon worse then Dokugumon was out there. It had already been a close call with Mimi, Yolei, Zoe, Henry and Suzie.

After leaving the forest the air was hot like an oven. Suzie wouldn't stop crying because her feet were hurting and she was all sweaty. Henry ended up giving her a piggyback ride. No one was in a talking mood after that. Many felt sorry for the little girl. She was only five after all. They felt even more sorry for Henry because it couldn't have been easy taking care of someone so small and irrational in a strange world. They finally reached the chamber Izzi was leading them to and looked inside to see it's sandy contents…

* * *

**The Digital World: Location: The Desert Chamber**

Sora had no idea what to do. She was alone with Biyomon in what could only be described as a sauna. She was dripping with sweat and hated how her clothes clung uncomfortably to her skin.

"Hello!" she called out. "Is anyone out there?"

"Sora," Biyomon whined tiredly, dying in the heat under all her feathers. "Let's get out of here. We have to find the others."

Sora sighed. Biyomon was right. The two of them had been searching the chamber forever and now they were reaching their limits in this underground desert.

"Hello!" she called out desperately one more time.

"He…llo!" a soft voice called out. "Is …someone there?"

Biyomon's eyes widened.

Sora grinned and ran in the direction of the voice. "Yes! Hello! Is anybody out there?"

"Please!" the voice cried. "I need help!"

This made Sora hurry even faster. Biyomon was pressed to keep up with her. They finally found another girl collapsed on the sandy ground with damp hair and a sweat soaked dress.

"Are you alright?" Sora asked softly as she helped the girl into a sitting position.

The girl smiled tiredly. "I am now. I thought no one would find me. It's so hot…"

"Can you stand?" Sora asked. "We have to get out of here."

She nodded weakly and allowed Sora to help her to her feet.

"I'm Jeri," she said, smiling.

"Sora," Sora smiled back. "And this is my Digimon partner Biyomon."

The girl's smile turned sad.

"I used to have a partner," she mumbled. "But he died…"

Sora's heart ached for Jeri. She couldn't imagine loosing Biyomon.

"Don't be too sad Jeri," Sora smiled, trying to cheer the girl up. "Digimon don't ever really die, you know. Their data just gets reconfigured again."

"Really?" Jeri asked, hope shining in her eyes.

"Yes," Sora smiled. "The same thing happened to my friends TK and Ken. They have their partner's back so I'm sure you'll meet your partner again someday. Who knows? Maybe he's looking for you right now."

Jeri smiled and with renewed hope she began to walk with as little help from Sora as possible. They wandered for hours following the long walls until they came to the top of a hill. On the other side of that hill a cool breeze came to them from a tunnel that led out of their nightmare.

"We made it!" Jeri cried, tears streaming down her dusty face.

"Yeah," Sora sighed. "We did."

"Look!" Biyomon cried, pointing one feathered arm towards their exit.

Sora squinted. She could just make out a large group of people and Digimon.

"Hey!" she called out hoarsely. "Over here!"

Davis knew that there was no way that everybody was willing to go in. He was about to suggest that only a small search party go when he heard a voice call out.

"Hey… over here!"

"Did ya hear that Raidramon?" Davis asked his still powered up Digimon, gaining everyone's attention.

"Hear what?" Raidramon blinked down at his partner.

Davis looked out into the cavern, trying to figure out where the voice had come from.

"…Someone's out there on that hill!" he cried after spotting the dark figures.

Izzi used the zoom function on his laptop's camera to get a better view of the hill Davis was pointing at and gasped.

"It's Sora, Biyomon and another girl!"

"That's Jeri!" Kenta cried. "She looks awful! She could be hurt!"

"I'll get them," Davis cried, hopping onto Raidramon's back.

"I'll come with you," Yolei stated, hopping astride Halsemon.

The two of them then took off across the desert-like plain. Davis was the first to reach the two girls and quickly helped Jeri from Sora's side and up onto Halsemon's back when Yolei arrived. Sora and Biyomon boarded Raidramon right behind Davis and held onto him as Raidramon took off back across the sands. Joe had water bottles waiting for them when they arrived. He looked the two girls over and treated them accordingly to the best of his abilities. Kenta and Kazu took over looking after Jeri while Sora was filled in on their current situation by Joe, who had heard Izzi's explanation so many times he as if he almost completely understood what was going on.

Izzi wasn't picking up anymore digivice signals from the desert area before them so they turned the group around and headed for cooler tunnels. They were lucky to find a chamber with a few closed off hot springs so they all took the opportunity to take a quick pit stop. The girls gratefully took the opportunity to get clean. The boys also took a quick bath in the hot springs, and a half an hour later they were all on the move again.

The ever-growing group moved onwards, mostly talking about their adventures in their own version of the Digital World. They were all beginning to realize just how plausible Izzi's theory of alternate realities was becoming. No one knew where to look next, however, because there were no more digivice or life form readings in the immediate area. All they could do was wander through the tunnels hoping that they were headed in the right direction.

They traveled the tunnels for hours but still didn't find any new readings. Finally the older DigiDestined – Izzi, Joe, Mimi, Sora, and Michael – decided that it was a good time to camp. All of the tunnels looked alike so one spot was just as good as another. Guardromon was given a break and entered sleep mode. Cody, Tommy and Suzie, fell asleep instantly while older kids, mainly Izzi, Henry and Davis, arranged a guard watch schedule. It was decided that for each shift, one of the older DigiDestined would stand guard with some of the younger members of the group.

Mimi and Michael were in charge of the first watch with Zoe and Henry. Joe had the second shift with Jeri and Kenta. Izzi had the third watch with JP and Kazu. And Sora had the final shift with Yolei and Davis. The watches were only a precaution, but it turned out to be a good idea when halfway through the final shift Davis thought he heard something.

He looked around trying to pinpoint where the sound had come from. Everyone was fast asleep aside from him and the rest of his guard group, but none of them seemed to have heard it. He strained his hearing, trying to pick up any sound that was out of place. Then he heard it. A small scream, almost too far away to hear, but the tunnels had decent acoustics.

"Sora," Davis called out as softly as possible, but still ended up rousing a few of the others that were sleeping near his position.

The redhead looked up.

"What is it Davis?" she asked as she made her way over to him.

"Listen," he whispered.

Sora listened hard for a few minutes until she finally heard what Davis had heard. Her eyes widened. Then she hurried over to the sleeping Guardromon and woke him.

"Yes?" the robot wheezed as his body rebooted.

"I need you to run a life forms scan," Sora said quickly. "Hurry!"

The robot Digimon's body whirred as it processed this new command and ran the scan.

"Detecting nine new life forms!" he chirped as Izzi's laptop began to beep with the faint traces of a digivice reading.

Izzi was awake instantly, typing away to get a fix on the fresh readings.

"One yellow, two orange, one blue, and one red Digivice reading," he said, answering Sora and Davis' question before they could ask.

Yolei went around rousing everyone else awake while Izzi tried to find the best route to get to the newly found DigiDestined. It took a while, but soon they were on the move again and headed in the direction of the voice that Davis had heard.

"TK!" the voice called out as they got closer.

Davis' heart jumped into his mouth. That was Kari's voice and she sounded upset. Something was wrong. He had Veemon Armor Digivolve back into Raidramon, boarded his partner's back and took off ahead of everyone else.

"Davis, come back!" Joe yelled after him.

"I'll go with him," Yolei said, Armor Digivolving Hawkmon into Halsemon and before taking off after her goggled-wearing friend before anyone could stop her.

Everyone else picked up the pace and raced after Davis and Yolei because Davis had Raidramon flying down the tunnel. Yolei and Halsemon where barely on his heels, but they somehow managed to keep up.

The tunnel entered a wide cavern that made the two come up short, allowing their Digimon to rest briefly. It was amazingly bright inside, so bright it was almost blinding after the dim tunnel light.

"Koji!" a different girls voice called out. "Hang in there!"

"TK!" Kari's voice echoed around the chamber. "TK! Please answer us!"

"TK!" Matt's voice now came out clearly. "Common, wake up!"

Yolei and Davis gave each other a concerned look. The others had caught up enough to them in time to hear Matt's cry.

Davis braced himself before he charged Raidramon into the brightly lit room with Yolei and the others right behind them.

* * *

What's happened to TK? What new dangers await our heroes? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

Don't you just love cliff hangers? ^_^

* * *

Yay! Another revised chapter! Ok readers. This one had quite a few new tweaks. Did those of you rereading this fic catch them all? No? Well, here's what I changed/added other than typos and the usual editing stuff.

**1.)** We finally have mention of the Digimon TV show and card game from Kenta and Kazu. I kinda touched on it in the last revised chapter, but now we got real conversation between Kenta and Kazu to confirm it.

**2.)** I added in that whole thing with Henry when he tries to digivolve Terriermon and use a modify card while facing Dokugumon in round 2. In this chapter revision I finally point out that not only is normal digivolving impossible in these strange caverns and tunnels, but the modify cards aren't working either, hence why the Tamers don't get much action in these first chapters. I'm trying my best to involve them more, i.e. why I'm going back and revising this story.

There was a bunch of other little things and phrasing I reworded, but those two were the main things I added to this chapter. I hope you enjoyed this revision readers and that you'll continue to read this ever growing story! If you're a new reader please review!


	5. Light in the Darkness

So here we are with chapter 5! This chapter was one of the last ones that I'd written before I'd even started posting UGotD, so everything after this chapter was improvised and done with very little advanced planing. That's a fun little factoid for those of you rereading this revised version of the fic. Enjoy and for those of you new readers, please review!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

**Chapter 5: Light in the Darkness**

**The Digital World: Location: The Cylindrical Cavern**

Kari remembered falling with TK when the ground beneath them at the park had opened up. Matt had grabbed onto TK's arm as they fell, his protective older brother instincts kicking in. The three of them fell for a long time before crashing into a round brightly lit chamber, getting tangled in a bunch of crisscrossed wires. The space wasn't too large, perhaps only eighty feet in diameter

Below them, Kari saw Gatomon, Patamon, Gabumon and a tall yellow fox Digimon. They called out greetings to their Digimon partners below just as a girl with flaming red hair fell into a section of cables right beside Kari, but she wasn't Sora. Only seconds later a boy wearing a blue and green streaked bandana landed next to Matt.

"Well that was fun," the girl said sarcastically.

The boy merely groaned as he carefully sat up.

"Rika!" the fox Digimon called up in a woman's voice. "Are you alright?"

"Renamon?" the girl gasped and looked down. "It _is_ you!"

"It's good to see you again," the fox smiled.

Suddenly the bright room was plunged into darkness as if the power had blown. The cables groaned and lurched, swaying their occupants dangerously. Kari felt TK leave her side, and Matt and the boy were suddenly gone too. Matt fell into another section of cables right below Kari, but TK and the other boy fell a good ten feet more then Matt did. The boy managed to grab hold of a cable and hoisted himself up into a thick crisscrossed section, but TK hit his head on the nearby wall with a loud clang and fell unconscious into a thick grouping of cables just below him. Kari and Matt called out to him, but he didn't respond.

It seemed like forever before the lights suddenly came back on an hour later. TK was lying unconscious with a nasty looking head wound. The boy above him checked his balance then – to his credit – managed to swing down to TK and land without sending both of them hurtling downwards again. He checked TK's head wound and quickly applied some pressure, using TK's own hat to stop the bleeding.

"How is he?" Matt called down.

The boy looked up. "I'm no doctor, but I think he'll be alright."

"Nice moves," the red head, Rika, commented.

The boy shrugged.

"So hot shot," she said mockingly, "got a name?"

"Koji," he nodded. "And you're Rika right? That's what the she-fox called you anyways."

"That's right," she said haughtily.

"I'm Kari," Kari smiled, relieved that TK was all right in spite of his fall.

"And I'm Matt," Matt nodded. "And that's my little brother, TK."

Koji made sure TK was in no danger of slipping out the cables again before he reclined to look up at the others above him. They were stuck there for what felt like hours. They had tried to figure out how to get down, but a solution eluded them. Matt and Rika's Digimon didn't have any forms that would have been able to help them get down, but even if they had, their Digivices didn't appear to be working. Kari tried to use Armor DigiVolution to digivolve Gatomon into Nefertimon – a Digimon that _could_ fly – but for some reason that form of digivolving wasn't working either. They had no other option left to them but to converse with each other until someone else found them and helped them down.

It didn't take them long to find out that they were from different Tokyo, Japans and had been to different Digital Worlds. They tried to describe their version of the Digital World to each other as best they could and swapped adventure stories, but Koji kept out the fact that he'd been a Digimon in half of the encounters he'd mentioned. Like Zoe and JP, he was determined to hide the fact that he was part Digimon in the Digital World until he was reunited with his brother and the others.

They all ended up dozing off after a while and woke when the lights suddenly turned back on. After spending a few minutes feeling disoriented, there was a sudden snapping sound. A killer bee looking Digimon called Flymon was buzzing around and snapping cables. He made his way up the chamber and made quick work of the section Koji and TK were hanging from when it reached them. Koji tried to grab hold of the unconscious boy, but instinct got the better of him and he clung to one cable and hung precariously from it's end. There were no more cable clusters crossed beneath him thanks to Flymon's work. Now there was only the eighty-foot drop.

TK was somewhat luckier. He landed in a cluster of cables, but was unstably balanced. There were no more thick clusters of cables to act as a net around him either. All Flymon had to do was go anywhere near enough to move any of the cables TK was on, and TK would fall until he hit the ground below.

"Get Flymon, Renamon!" Rika cried.

The fox Digimon leaped a good ten feet into the air and angled herself into a position that was somewhere between Flymon and TK's prone figure.

"Diamond Storm!" Renamon cried as diamond shards appeared and flew with deadly speed and force at the insect. Flymon didn't stand a chance against an experienced fighter Digimon like Renamon.

"Good work as always," Rika preened.

"TK!" Kari cried. She called his name desperately over and over again, but there was no response to her cries.

Matt was more rational and asked Koji, who was in the more precarious position at the moment, if he was all right.

"Never better," Koji grunted as he tried climbing up the cable as if it was the rope in gym class. He slipped, however, and just barely managed to grab hold of it again before its length ran out.

Kari had screamed with horror as he fell, afraid that Koji was about to fall to his death. It was this scream that Davis had heard in the tunnels. Koji attempted to climb up the cable again, but this time he took even more care while climbing. There was a tiny ledge right above him and he knew that if he could just get up to it, he'd have no trouble hoisting himself into the cable cluster directly above him. If he got that far, he was going to attempt to get reach TK again. He knew it was insane, but after spending time with selfless people like Takuya and his twin brother, he'd developed a selfless streak of his own.

Rika, Kari and Matt encouraged him until Koji finally made it to the ledge. After catching his breath, he launched himself into the cable cluster. He swayed dangerously from them and the others waited, holding their breaths. When he finally got up into the cables he leaned back and let his heart settle as well as all of the adrenaline that had been coursing through him during the past ten minutes.

The three above him left out relieved sighs. He chuckled nervously, agreeing whole-heartedly with the sentiment. He gave himself three whole minutes before he attempted to reach TK. There was a single long cable that stretched from above his section of cables to above TK's on the opposite side of the chamber. It was a long way to go on one cable, but Koji believed that he could do it. He had to for TK's sake. If TK woke up, the first instinct would be to right himself and that could send him falling down to his death. After he got over there, the next step would be to move TK into a less precarious position. Then he could try to wake him up.

Koji sighed, took a few deep breaths and started the long journey across to the other side of the cylindrical chamber. The three spectators above and the four below silently prayed that Koji knew what he was doing. Koji reached the halfway mark when his arms started to get tired. The stunts he'd been doing within the last fifteen minutes had all involved upper body strength alone. He kept on going though; ignoring the numb feeling that was beginning to take hold of him.

'_Common_,' he thought. '_Just a little further_.'

He finally reached the point on the cable that positioned him above and to the left of TK when his cable suddenly snapped. With a gasp he fell and nearly landed on top of the very person he was trying to help. TK's body slid backwards off the cables, but Koji somehow managed to grab hold of his shirt collar and heft him back up next to him and balance him. Koji's own balance was thrown off after that and he was suddenly holding on by his arms. He tried to hoist himself up again, but his arms didn't want to work this time. He'd maxed them out helping TK.

"Koji!" Rika called out above him. "Hang in there!"

'_What does she think I'm doing?_' Koji thought exasperatedly.

"TK!" Kari cried. "TK! Please answer us!"

"TK!" Matt called out. "Common, wake up!"

In spite of their cries, TK remained unconscious.

"Kari!" A voice suddenly called out.

"Davis?" Kari called out, recognizing the voice instantly.

Davis appeared a minute later riding Raidramon. He took in the situation then faced Yolei who was coming up right behind him.

"Go get them," he said pointing his thumb up at Kari, Matt and Rika, "while I get TK and that other guy."

Yolei had Halsemon take off, not bothering to argue with Davis, but she did find it odd that he didn't want to rescue Kari himself.

Davis had Raidramon pull up just under where Koji was hanging and charged him at the opposite wall. They used it to spring off of with a bounding leap, grabbing Koji just as he began to loose his grip, and bounded off the nearest wall for a safe landing.

"Thanks," Koji gasped as he sank gratefully onto the ground.

Davis gave him a tight smile before wheeling Raidramon around again for a second run in order to get TK who was quickly slipping off the cables again now that Koji wasn't there to keep him balanced. They made the same pass, but Davis knew Raidramon had accidently overshot the trajectory the moment they left that first wall. Davis gritted his teeth, cursing inwardly for what he was about to do. He threw himself off Raidramon's back as they sailed over TK's cables. It was around this point that the other DigiDestined reached the chamber. There was a chorus of gasps as Davis landed swaying in the cables and TK began to fall. Davis's hand shot out and grabbed TK's, but he'd caught him awkwardly at a weird angle and felt his shoulder wrench, twist and then disconnect. In spite of this, Davis managed to keep a hold on TK's hand through all the pain. It was his agonized scream that brought TK back to consciousness.

"Whoa!" he cried seeing the long drop below him, "Did I miss something?"

"I'd say," Davis gasped through gritted teeth.

"Need a lift?" Yolei asked as she pulled Halsemon up underneath TK.

"Thanks Yolei," TK sighed as Davis let him go, dropping him neatly behind Yolei on Halsemon's back.

Davis let his arm hang limp in the air as he waited for Yolei to return for him.

"That was very brave," Yolei told him when she helped him gingerly in front of her on Halsemon's back. "Kari was impressed."

Davis smiled sadly, but this went unnoticed by Yolei.

Everyone was crowded around Koji and TK when Halsemon landed.

"Joe!" Yolei called out.

Joe turned and hurried over to Davis, his arm held up stiffly and at an odd angle by his side.

"I think his shoulder was dislocated when he saved TK," Yolei explained.

Hearing this, everyone instantly moved in to check on Davis while Joe gently prodded Davis's shoulder. Davis winced several times, but he didn't yell or cry, even though he felt like it. It hurt really badly.

"Yup," Joe sighed, making a pained face. "It's dislocated alright."

"Can you relocate it Joe?" Sora asked nervously, holding onto Matt's arm.

"Yes," Joe nodded slowly. "I've done it once before at the clinic I'm interning at, but it'll be painful. It's twisted out of it's socket so I'll have to re-twist it and then pop it back in place."

Davis closed his eyes. It hurt badly enough already. He felt a hand on his good shoulder and turned to see TK and Kari. The sight of them together still pained him, but he stifled the undeserved feelings. TK was a good guy, and was right for Kari. Davis knew that he'd been right to save him.

"Thank you, Davis," TK said with meaning. "You saved my life."

"Bandana boy was doing a pretty good job before I showed up," Davis said.

"His name is Koji," Kari said softly.

"Yeah, Koji" Davis nodded. How was he supposed to know the guy's name? They hadn't even been introduced yet.

Koji showed up just behind Kari as if speaking his name had summoned him.

"Thanks for helping us out up there. I was in real trouble for a moment."

"No problem," Davis shrugged, which was a bad idea with his right shoulder dislocated.

"All right everyone," Joe sighed. "Give us space. I'm going to reset his shoulder now."

Everyone hurriedly moved back and turned away. Henry made sure Suzie had her ears covered and that she couldn't see what was about to happen. Davis was mentally bracing himself. He didn't know what Joe was going to do, but he was sure it was going to hurt. A lot. He wasn't disappointed.

Joe steeled himself before twisting Davis's arm back into the right position. Davis couldn't hold back the scream as the shock traveled throughout his entire arm and across his chest. He coughed a few times as he caught his breath and was gasping at the end of it. No one could watch and many had covered their ears.

"All right, Davis," Joe said soothingly, patting him gently on the back. "The worst is over. Now I'm going to pop your arm back into your shoulder socket. It's going to hurt, but it shouldn't be as painful as the twist. …Ready?"

Davis nodded, sweat dripping down his face. Joe grabbed his arm again and pushed up. There was a sickening snap, but after that there was no more pain. Or at least not as much pain. His entire arm was numb now yet it ached at the same time. He moaned slightly as his sore shoulder throbbed.

Joe was rummaging through his bag and pulled out an instant ice pack. He had thought they'd come in handy if someone sprained their ankle during their reunion. Now he was glad that he had thought to bring his entire medical kit in case of emergencies such as these.

"Thanks," Davis sighed as Joe applied the ice pack and began making a sling for Davis to rest his arm in.

"Are you alright?" Kari asked.

"Yeah," Davis smiled weakly. "Joe's set me right again."

The relief was evident on her face.

"Hey Davis," Matt said, patting his good shoulder. "Thanks for saving TK. I know you two aren't on the best of terms with each other, but I really appreciate it."

Davis smiled. "It was nothing Matt. I'm sure TK would have done the same if our roles had been switched."

TK felt a pang in his chest. No he wouldn't have. He would have gone for Kari without any second thought.

"Thanks Davis," TK said, trying to hide his discomfort.

Davis simply grinned at him, making him feel even guiltier. Everyone came to see how Davis was doing and introductions were made once again. After catching everyone up to speed, the group set off down the brightly lit chamber to another connecting chamber that Izzi said was there. When they reached the entrance, it was pitch black inside. According to the map on Izzi's computer, the chamber was significantly larger then the one they were in now and it's darkness seemed vast. The only light available was provided by Guardromon's headlight and a bunch of tiny little specs of light that reminded them all of fireflies.

* * *

**The Digital World: Location: The Dark Chamber **

Davis was riding Raidramon again, and found himself falling asleep slumped against Raidramon's neck. Kari and TK were walking next to him and didn't bother trying to wake him. Raidramon didn't either and kept a smooth gate, worrying that any sudden movement on his part might hurt Davis even more with his right shoulder out of commission. Joe even recommended that they carefully shift him into a more comfortable position so that he wouldn't wake with a stiff neck.

The lack of light was making many others tired, but they trudged on, looking for more signs of their missing friends. Only nine were missing and that encouraged the large group to press on. They wandered in darkness for a long time before Izzi's laptop and Guardromon's sensors beeped, waking Davis.

"Five new digivice readings," Izzi reported.

"Ten life form signatures," Guardromon stated. "Not too far away either. I wonder why we are only just receiving these readings…"

"Does anyone else hear something?" Koji suddenly asked.

Everyone quieted down and listened hard. So far no one had been wrong about hearing something, and Koji wasn't wrong this time either. There was a whimpering sound coming from their right. The group hurried in that direction and soon they could hear a soft voice pleading with the whimpering.

"Common kids," the voice pleaded. "I'm right here! Common, snap outta it!"

"That sound's like Impmon," Renamon stated.

"That must be Ai and Mako," Jeri cried as she hurried forward.

"Jeri, wait!" Sora and Rika called after her.

When they finally found Ai and Mako, the two were curled up in the fetal position next to each other surrounded by a dark aura. Their shared Digimon partner was a purple imp looking creature with long pointy ears, a barbed tail, slanted green eyes and tiny fangs. He had a mischievous smiley face on his tummy and wore a red bandana around his neck and wore matching gloves.

"He's gone," Ai hiccupped. "He ran away."

"It's all our fault," Mako cried. "He left because we were too rough with him."

Impmon grabbed one shoulder on each kid.

"But guys, I'm right here! I'm not going anywhere either."

He turned helplessly to the large group of DigiDestined.

"They can't hear me," his voice trembled. "No matter what I say or do my words and touch don't reach 'em."

"Hey Sora," Matt asked his girlfriend, "Do you remember that tunnel Joe and I found you in when you came to get us before our fight with Piedmon?"

"Yes," She agreed slowly.

"Remember how you were afraid that you'd let Tai and the others down if you couldn't find us? You fell into a tunnel and the darkness that had tried to consume me earlier tried to consume you."

"Oh!" Sora gasped.

"You think this might be that same darkness?" Joe asked, catching on to what his friend was getting at.

"I do," Matt said grimly. "It's horrible. You feel as if the things you know you couldn't control were your fault anyway. And that whatever dark feelings you hold onto only get darker until they feel like they're about to consume you. Only someone really close to you can snap you out of it. I had Gabumon and Sora had Joe and I. If the kids won't respond to their own Digimon then someone close to them or someone who can connect to them should try."

"I'll do it. I've been babysitting them for a while so they know me pretty well. Maybe I can reach them. I lost my partner, so maybe they'll listen to me," Jeri said.

She knelt down next to them and spoke gently and softly to the two kids. Everyone watched her, hoping she'd be able to reach them.

"Ai? Mako? Can you hear me?" she asked.

The two kids sobbed silently for a moment but didn't reply.

"Can you hear me, Ai and Mako?" Jeri tried again a little louder.

"…Yes, Miss Jeri," they finally responded.

She looked up hopefully at the others. Rika even gave her an encouraging thumbs up.

"What's wrong?" Jeri asked them. "Why are you crying?"

"Because it's all our fault," Mako whimpered. "Impmon left us because we didn't take care of him right."

"We always fought over him," Ai added. "We hurt him, so he ran away."

"But he's right here," Jeri said gently. "He came back, remember? He's worried about you two. He wants to be with you."

"Really?" Mako asked, the dark aura surrounding them beginning to lift. "He's not mad?"

"No, he isn't," Jeri smiled. "Listen to him."

"Of course I'm not mad!" Impmon sighed. "I'm your Digimon. I'm supposta look after yous guys. You're the only family I have."

Ai and Mako lifted their heads, saw that Impmon was really there and broke out into a fresh round of tears and hugged him between them. The dark aura vanished instantly.

"It was so scary!" Ai gasped. "This voice kept telling us we were horrible Tamers and that we couldn't take good care of you."

"Yeah," Mako sobbed. "It said that you left us because you didn't need us and that you were better off without us. That you left because we always fought."

Impmon teared up and reassured them that he wasn't going to leave them again and that they were the most important humans in his life.

Jeri was relieved. She'd been worrying about the two kids the entire time she'd been in this world. They had been left in her care and she felt responsible for keeping them safe. When Ai and Mako finally stopped crying, another voice could faintly be heard up ahead. Koji recognized it as his twin's voice, and didn't waste any time getting to him. The others followed in hot pursuit.

Koji froze when he reached the spot where he'd heard his brother's voice come from. Unlike Ai and Mako who had merely been enveloped in a dark aura, Koichi was utterly blanketed in one. There was a thick fog barrier surrounding him and the only why anyone could know he was in there was the pained sound of his voice and the digivice reading that Izzi was receiving. But Koichi's digivice wasn't the only one in there. The other three digivice signals in the area were coming from the fog bank as well.

Koji was about to rush into the barrier when JP stopped him.

"Let me go!" Koji snarled. "My brother's in there!"

"Cool it Koji!" JP said calmly. "You have to think first. We don't know what's in there with him. Let's think about this first."

"There doesn't appear to be any other life form readings inside," Izzi mused. "It should be alright to go in there, but I suggest that only a small group go in while everyone else waits here. If those who go in need help then we can send in back up. Whoever goes in can communicate with me through their digivice."

"I'll go in," Matt volunteered. "I have experience with this darkness and have overcome it. I may be of some help in there."

"Well I'm going too," Rika said in a tone that called for no argument.

"I'll go too," JP nodded. "You're going to need a friend on this one Koji. I know I'm not Takuya, but I have a little experience in this area myself."

Davis got off Raidramon's back. TK and Kari tried to stop him, but he ignored them. Raidramon reverted back to Veemon and jogged alongside his partner.

"I'm going too," Davis stated. "I have a feeling that Ken is in there too and I'm going in after him."

"Davis, your still hurt from your shoulder being dislocated," Joe reminded him gently.

"I don't care," Davis said stubbornly. "Who else here has a better chance then I do of snapping Ken out of whatever darkness he's wrapped up with in there? You know I'm the only one who can! We're best friends and I was the only one who accepted him right after he stopped being the Digimon Emperor. If he's reliving that in there then I'm going to be the only one that'll be able to get through to him and you know it!"

"He's right about that," Izzi sighed. "Davis is the only one we know of that has a good chance of getting Ken out of there."

"But we don't even know if he _is_ in there!" Kari cried out of concern for Davis.

"Actually we do," Izzi disagreed. "There is one orange and one yellow digivice signal in there with the red and blue. Ken is the only one missing that would have an orange digivice signal. I'm betting Willace is the yellow one due to the fact that there has been a theme to the chambers and whom we find in them. The DigiDestined in this chamber have a connection with Darkness. If Gabumon weren't a Digimon with a light attribute like Gatomon, Patamon, and Renamon, then Matt would have most likely ended up in this chamber due to his history with Darkness. Willace lost Kokomon to a virus years ago. I'd call that having a past connection with darkness. That is what makes me believe that he is in there as well. Tai's too optimistic for this place anyways."

"Then there's no doubt that that's Koichi in there," Koji muttered.

"If we're going on personality and history here," Henry said, "Then there's no way its Takato. The only one it can be is Ryo. We don't know what happened to him that year he was trapped in the digital world alone. I bet that's why he's here. Something bad must have happened to him during that time. Something so bad that he's forgotten all about it."

"Well what are we waiting for?" Davis exclaimed. "Who cares why they're here? The point is, is that they need our help to get out!"

"I'll monitor you guys from out here," Izzi said, clipping a headset onto his left ear, and lowered the microphone to his lips. "I'll communicate with you through Matt's digivice and you all can communicate with me through your own digivice as I guide you through. Just give me a second to get a readout on the fog…."

Everyone waited as the older kid clicked away at his computer before giving them the thumbs up.

Koji nodded and together he, Matt, Davis, Rika and JP entered the dense fog with their Digimon. It was pitch black inside and there were no tiny globes of light inside to light their way.

"Izzi to Matt," Matt's digivice buzzed. "Can you read me Matt?"

"Loud and clear," Matt answered. "It's pitch black in here Izzi. Where should we go?"

There was a pause and the fuzzy distorted sound of typing when Izzi finally answered.

"The nearest signal is to your left. Make sure you're all there and head approximately ten steps in that direction."

Matt slipped his digivice back into his pocket before making sure the others were still with him. They held hands and walked ten steps to their left. The fog abruptly ended here and in a small clearing in the fog bank Koichi sat on the ground holding his head. Like when they had found Ai and Mako, he had a dark aura surrounding him, only his was a lot thicker.

"Koichi!" Koji cried as he let go of whoever's hand he'd been holding and rushed to his twin's side. The others were right behind him.

"Koichi!" Koji called as he grabbed his brother's shoulders and tried to get his twin to look at him.

"I never told him," Koichi whispered. "I never got the chance to confront him. I never got to introduce myself to Koji."

"But I'm right here, Koichi," Koji cried. "You did! We met!"

"It's the same as Ai and Mako," Rika mused. "The person or Digimon involved in the dark illusion can't reach the one trapped by it."

"He can't hear me," Koji whispered as Rika's words sank in.

JP put his hand on Koji's shoulder and kneeled down next to him.

"Maybe not, but maybe I can. …Koichi? Can you here me pal?"

Koichi remained silent.

"...att! ….Matt!" buzzed Izzi's voice.

Matt yanked out his digivice.

"What's up Izzi?"

"Get out of there! There's a huge energy surge coming Koichi's digivice! I think that he's the source of this dark fog!"

The darkness that had enveloped Koichi now gathered and grew larger. JP grabbed Koji and yanked him away from Koichi. A dark figure was now forming behind boy consumed in darkness. It looked like a man in a terrifying Halloween costume. He was wearing black and red armor with a skull and eyeball theme.

"Duskmon!" JP and Koji gasped.

"Who?" the other three cried out.

There was more clicking on the other end of Izzi's communication line.

"Duskmon," Izzi's voice mused. "Uh oh. He's a champion level dark spirit Digimon that can transform other Digimon's regrets into dark energy. He's an expert swordsman with blades that can extend from his forearms. The source of his power is sealed in his armor's seven eyeballs. His attacks are Deadly Gaze and Lunar Plasma. You better be careful guys."

Koji waited. Duskmon wasn't even moving. Then the sinister looking Digimon began to talk in his low voice to Koichi.

"But you did Koichi. Remember? I gave you the chance. It was the darkness in your heart that summoned me. Your so-called twin was living happily with your father and his new stepmother. He left you and your mother to suffer alone. Why should Koji live happily while your mother suffers?"

"No," Koichi whimpered.

"You were going to confront him. Do you remember what happened next?

Images were beginning to form in the darkness. Koichi and Koji were far apart on the train. Koji was getting into the elevator and Takuya just barley making it in. Koichi was in front of the closed elevator doors. Koichi was running down the stairs. Koichi was falling. Darkness.

Duskmon was starting to look more substantial. "You remember don't you?"

"Yes," Koichi cried. "But I also remember meeting Koji. We became close. Even after we returned from the Digital World. He met mother. I was going to meet father soon. He still doesn't know about us."

Duskmon chuckled.

"What a wonderful dream you've been having."

"Dream?" Koichi gasped.

"Don't listen to him Koichi!" Koji cried out, still restrained by JP.

"You fell remember? You were never physically in the digital world. You died from your fall."

"No…" Koichi chocked. "No, I woke up. Koji was there."

"Wake up!" Duskmon shouted. "You're living in a dream."

"No!" Koichi cried, covering his ears.

"Stop lying to him Duskmon!" Koji roared.

Suddenly Koji's D-Tector lit up and the dark fog behind him took on a form as well. Like Duskmon, this Digimon had a human shape, but his armor was a dark steel-grey and had a lion theme. His chest, shoulder, and knee plates were lion heads. Even his facemask was a lion's head with a full golden yellow main of hair.

"Löwemon," Koji and JP gasped.

The new arrival ignored their outburst and made his way to the troubled youth before him.

"Be strong Koichi," he said in the same low voice as Duskmon, but he sounded gentler and strong. "You know Duskmon lies. The bond you share with your twin is even stronger. Don't let him convince you otherwise."

Koichi looked up at the Spirit Warrior.

"I know," he smiled sadly.

"The Spirit of Darkness is a greater burden to bear then any of the other Legendary Warrior Spirits. There is a fine line to walk and many times that line is blurred. It is easy to forget and lose your way, but do not lose faith. Light, your brother and twin, is always there by your side to help you. Never forget that he is there and as am I. As your true spirit guardian, in your hands darkness does not have to be evil."

The dark barrier around Koichi shrank, but did not disappear entirely.

Duskmon glowered at Löwemon.

"We are two sides of the same coin," he growled. "Darkness and Light may be brothers, but we are twins. The same element, split in two aspects; two faces."

"Be that as it may, Koichi is a chosen child and represents the pure darkness that is neither good nor evil. He shapes his own path," Löwemon stated.

"The ideals of a hero," Duskmon scoffed. "There is no such thing as a neutral. He will either become good or evil. Darkness is an evil element. There is no getting around that. Why do you think their resistors suffer until they give in? The darkness will consume this child and there is nothing you, Löwemon, can do to stop it. I will become his true spirit guardian once again."

"Not if I can help it," Koji retorted, standing beside his brother between him and Duskmon.

"You can't be by his side forever boy," Duskmon guffawed. "He will be pushed to the edge and not even you will be able to save him when he falls."

"Enough," Koichi murmured in such a low voice it was almost a whisper. "To toy with me and mess with my head is tolerable, but _never_ threaten Koji. That is something I won't stand for."

The boy stood by his twin and glared at Duskmon.

"Löwemon," he called softly, the dark aura seeping into his person. "Lend me your strength once again."

"With pride and pleasure," the warrior Digimon bowed and dissipated into dark particles that entered Koichi's black pulsing D-Tector.

"I'm sorry to make you worry Koji," Koichi smiled. "I'm back."

Koji's returning smile was relieved.

"Now leave this nightmare to me," Koichi said, returning his attention to Duskmon.

"If he destroys the illusion, the fog should dissipate," Izzi's voice said over Matt's digivice. "It should end whatever nightmares the other DigiDestined trapped in there are having as well."

"You two got all that?" Matt called over to the twins as he had JP, Davis, and Rika moved over towards him. "Go Gabumon."

"Give them a hand Veemon," Davis said.

"You too Renamon," Rika ordered.

"Right!" the three Digimon cheered, but when they moved forward to fight, they suddenly slumped in a heap.

"I feel weird," Gabumon moaned.

"I'm pooped," Veemon sighed.

"I can't move," Renamon grunted. "Something has zapped our strength."

JP pulled out his D-Tector and glanced at it. He realized that he and Koji didn't have the luxury to sit back and let the other kids handle this. Not with their Digimon unable to move. Looks like their secret was about to get out.

"Hey Koji! Do you and Koichi think you can handle it on your own or could you use my help?"

Before Koji could answer, Koichi took a step further.

"That's not necessary, but thank you JP," he said. "I can handle my own demons. Leave this to me. Please join the others Koji."

Koji was about to argue, but got a grip on himself. He had to realize that Koichi was strong enough without him and that helping him would only hinder his growth. Duskmon had been right about one thing. There would come a time when he couldn't always be by his twin's side. This was something that Koichi had to do on his own.

* * *

Can Koichi handle it? Or will Duskmon prove to be too much for the DigiDestined of Darkness? Find out on the next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

* * *

Ok, well this was one of those revised chapters where very little was changed, but some very important things were added.

In the original version I'd never mentioned why the Digimon just simply didn't try to digivolve to reach their partners. Well most readers never noticed this little blip because I'd already stated over and over in the previous two chapters again the digimon couldn't digivolve by normal means. But that never excused why Kari never had Gatomon Armor Digivolve into Nefirtimon who could _fly_ and get them all down safely and save davis the trouble and pain of a dislocated shoulder. Well... yeah, that was (admittedly) an over sight on my part in the original draft and I didn't think up a reason for this glitch until I revised this chapter. I can't beleive no one called me on this obvious hole in my story. XD

Ok, moving on, the first thing I did to remedy this was mention that Kari _does_ have Gatomon attempt to Armor Digivolve, but she fails all the same and unfortunately I didn't have Izzi or Ken around to explain this new development. But here it is! Fun/Sad Fact: Gatomon couldn't armor digivolve in the beginning of this chapter because of the same power interference that was screwing with Guardromon's sensors. True, she could have tried again after the power was turned off and then turned back on, but seriously people! Who's going to try something they're sure isn't going to work? ...I know that's a flimsy excuse for why she didn't/couldn't armor Digivolve, but it's all I could come up with and I'm sticking to it damn it! But hey! If the power levels in Davis, Izzi, Kazu and JP's chamber were high enough to short out the Digivices even when powered down, then why shouldn't it be able to interrupt the energy/power flow needed to execute an armored evolution?

...wow. all that explanation to explain like 2 inserted sentences. XD

Ok, one more thing. This is a little nit picky of me, but I did finally realize that Patamon could have flown up to help Tk, but seriously people! (this is me defending myself from myself and the inner hard ass critics that i imagine are critiquing my work)

1) He couldn't digivolve even if TK were conscious

2) Seriously, what help would he have been up there anyway? He could hardly pick up and fly TK anywhere back when the boy was 8! I don't think he would have been much help to a grown 14 year old TK. :P

I justify Patamon's lack of action with the fact that Kari, TK, Matt, Rika and Koji were just too high up the chamber when this chapter first started that it didn't make much sense for the little guy to fly up there and tire himself out for nothing.

If you have anymore questions about this chapter or any others, please feel free to ask and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. ^_^


	6. The New Enemy

Chapter six is finally here! Ta-da! ok, now this is how far I've actually reached plot wise so it may take some time before the next update. Sorry! I'll try, but finals are coming up at my school and I may need to take a break in order to study. I apologize but I hope to have more come out in December so look forward to it!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.

* * *

**Chapter 6: The New Enemy**

**The Digital World: Location: The Dark Chamber**

"Go for it," Koji told his twin before joining JP and the other three.

"How's he going to fight Duskmon without a Digimon partner?" Rika asked.

"That's the thing about us," JP said, looking sidelong at Koji, making sure that they were in agreement about letting the others know. On the other end of Matt's digivice connection, the others were paying strict attention.

"We don't need a Digimon partner," Koji said. "We are our _own_ partners."

Koichi held out his black D-Tector in his right hand. He raised it above his head and then, as if in a trance, he closed his eyes and moved his D-Tector hand down to his side while simultaneously moving his left hand up. When his left palm was stretched out above his head, he opened his eyes and looked up at his raised hand as a glowing ring of data appeared. Closing his eyes in trance again, he switched the orientation of his hands, only to suddenly open his eyes and bring both hands in front of him. He clashed his D-Tector with the swirling data ring, creating sparks between the two.

"Execute! Spirit Evolution!" Koichi cried as he ripped the D-Tector away, dragging the data ring out in a long ribbon stream that stretched and circled above his head. He was enveloped in a white light as his body's outline glowed and shadows began to swirl around him. The data ring that had circled above his head cocooned around his body and when he emerged he was Löwemon wielding a spear and shield.

"Go get him," Koji and JP muttered under their breaths, but loud enough to be heard.

As if responding to his friend's and his brother's wish, the newly evolved Koichi spun his spear above his head, having it gain momentum.

"Let's end this!" he said firmly.

"If you wish," Duskmon answered ominously.

"Shadow Lance!" Löwemon cried, dashing forward and brought his spear down in a forward thrust.

"Lunar Plasma," Duskmon rasped and raised his swords then lowered them as he rushed, slicing, at Löwemon.

The two attacks sent up a large cloud of dust that could be seen by the others waiting outside the fog bank. When the dust finally settled the two were clashing swords, shield and spear. Neither seemed to be gaining the upper hand. They split apart and then called out their next attack.

"Deadly Gaze!"

"Shadow Meteor!"

Powerful red and purple blasts of energy flew in all directions, shredding the fog and reveling the other missing DigiDestined who had been hidden in its folds. Ryo, Willace, Ken and their Digimon were looking around confused as if they had just been abruptly awoken from a confusing dream. While Davis, Matt, and Rika rushed to see their confused friends, JP and Koji rejoined the group that had been waiting outside the fog barrier.

Now that all of the DigiDestined were together minus Tai, Takato, and Takuya, they looked on and watched the ongoing battle between the two dark Digimon.

"Who are they?" Willace asked.

"The creepy one is Duskmon," Zoe answered grimly. "He's bad news."

"The other is my brother," Koji explained. "JP, Tommy, Zoe, Takuya, Koichi and I all possess one of the Ten Legendary Warrior Spirits from our version of the Digital World. Each spirit represents one of ten elements. As you can see, my twin is the host for the Warrior Spirits of Darkness."

A few of the others' expressions darkened.

"So is he your evil twin?" TK asked grimly.

"Doubt it," Davis grimaced. "You didn't see him in action."

"No, he's not evil," Tommy giggled then paused to think over what he'd said. "Well… at least not any more. He was evil when we first met him."

"But he was misguided and being controlled by an evil Digimon back then," Zoe said in Koichi's defense. "When he used to be possessed by the warped and tainted Spirit of Darkness he was Duskmon. Takuya and Koji defeated him eventually and then he became a good guy. He even sacrificed himself to save us in our final battle in the Digital World."

"Is that what Duskmon meant when he said Koichi died?" Davis asked Koji.

"No," Koji sighed, watching as his twin and Duskmon started trading blows at close range with their weapons again. "Koichi didn't come to the Digital World the same way as the rest of us did. We rode a Trailmon there. He …fell down the stairs that led to the basement level of Shibuya train station when he missed the elevator that he'd tried to follow me on. In the real world, he went into a coma but his consciousness somehow crossed over to the Digital plane. A warped and evil Digimon known as Cherubimon twisted the darkness within Koichi's sadness and the despair and turned those emotions against him before wiping his memory clean. He gave Koichi the tainted versions of the spirits of Darkness that turned him into Duskmon. Takuya and I battled against him and together we managed to defeat him. With Lady Ophanimon's help Koichi's memories were restored. Like Zoe said, he became himself again and fought alongside us all when we took on the next evil Digimon, Lucemon, and his cronies. In the final battle, Koichi sacrificed himself to save us. …I thought he had died since it was his spirit and not his body that had come to the Digital World. After that battle on our way home, the spirit of Löwemon told me that Koichi was still alive. We rushed to the hospital, but he was unresponsive and his heart had stopped beating…"

Koji had to stop for a moment. Even the memory was horrible enough to make his stomach drop and his gut churn.

"You have no idea how horrible I felt," he choked. "To suddenly find out that I had a brother. A twin! Only to lose him once in the Digital world, receive hope that he was still alive in our world, but lose him again anyway. To never know who he was. But that was when our D-Tectors came to life. Koichi woke up and the D-Tectors reverted back into the cell phones that they had been before we came to the Digital World. Koichi and I got a second chance."

"You didn't know each other?" Matt asked.

"Koji and Kochi's parents divorced soon after they were born," JP explained. "They didn't even know that they had a twin living with the other parent."

"My dad got remarried," Koji said. "Dad told me that Mom was dead. I rebelled and used to be rude to my stepmother. In reality Mom was just really frail and sick. She raised Kochi by herself and he worked very hard to keep her healthy. When his – our – grandmother died she told Koichi about me. He did exactly what I would have done. He found me and wanted to meet me."

"Then one day we all got messages on our cell phones to go to the Shibuya train station to seek out our destinies," Zoe said, staring at her D-Tector.

"I've been wondering that," JP mused. "When did our cell phones turn back into D-Tectors?"

"Probably when we arrived here," Zoe shrugged. "In this world we need our D-Tectors more then our cell phones, JP."

"I suppose so," JP chuckled.

Matt was thinking back to when he'd met Koji. They hadn't introduced themselves yet, but Koji had risked his own life to save TK many times in that cylindrical chamber. Was it because he knew what it felt like to lose a brother?

"Koichi!" Koji cried, brining everyone's attention back to the fight raging before them.

Löwemon had just gotten slammed into a wall next to them, but not before sending Duskmon flying in the opposite direction.

Koichi realized that if the battle went on any longer, he'd lose whatever equal ground he held against Duskmon. He had to gain the upper hand and there was only one way to do that.

"Slide Evolution!" he cried, surrounded by the cocoon of data again and emerging as a black mechanical lion with guns embedded in his shoulders, legs and back.

"Alright! He's slid into his Beast Spirit form, JägerLöwemon," Koji grinned.

"Beast Spirit form?" Ken repeated.

"All of our warrior spirits have two forms: a human form and a beast form. Löwemon is the warrior spirit's human form. JägerLöwemon is his beast form."

Koichi readied his guns and took aim.

"Dark Master!" he called out as his cannon launched dark energy bursts at Duskmon before he could get up. When the dust settled, Duskmon was nowhere to be seen. Guardromon's scan no longer showed his life signature, so he was presumably destroyed by JägerLöwemon's strongest attack.

Koichi immediately reverted back to his human self, and slumped against the chamber's wall.

"Koichi!" Koji cried, rushing to his brother's side.

The others followed with Joe prepared to give any medical assistance if it was necessary.

"I'm alright," Koichi sighed with the hint of a smile. "Just worn out."

Koji let out a relieved sigh of his own making his twin chuckle.

"Relax Koji. Next time feel free to jump in."

"That was amazing!" Davis cried. "I've never seen anything like it."

"None of us have," Izzi corrected him. "None of us from our world, that is."

"We have. It was pretty similar to what happens to Ryo, Takato, Rika and Henry when they Bio-Merge," Kenta spoke up.

"Yeah only without the partner Digimon," Kazu butted in.

"Bio-Merge?" Izzi asked looking interested. "What's that?"

While Kenta and Kazu tried to explain to Izzi what Bio-Merging was, Ryo approached the group surrounding Koichi.

"Those were some retty fancy moves there," Ryo grinned. "Cyberdramon was just itching to join in."

"Who?" many of the other DigiDestined asked in unison, drawing Izzi's attention from Kenta and Kazu since neither of them was making much sense.

"My Digimon partner," Ryo elaborated, grinning and jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at the Champion level dragon type Digimon behind him with black armor and a metal facemask. He had red bat like wings, fierce spikes on his forearms, fangs and claws.

Ken stared at Ryo, noticing him for the first time.

"Ryo?" Ken gasped. "Ryo Akiyama?"

Ryo turned to face Ken and paused. The other boy looked familiar, but he couldn't figure out why. He thought hard. Faint images floated just out of reach, but seeing this boy was dragging a long forgotten memory to the surface. If guy were a lot younger and had shorter hair…

"Ken?" Ryo gasped, finally recognizing him. "Ken Ichijoji?"

"Whoa! You guys already know each other?" Davis and Rika cried in almost perfect unison.

Ryo laughed. "Man! You've grown up! Weren't you just a little squirt a year ago? How is this possible?"

"A year?" Ken laughed. "Ryo, it's been over six for me."

"Wow," Ryo sighed. "Six years huh?"

"Yup!" Ken grinned. "You didn't have a partner the last time I saw you."

"Ah. Yeah," Ryo laughed nervously. "I guess."

"You guess?" Ken asked, frowning slightly with a touch of concern.

"The truth is I don't really remember much Ken," Ryo smiled sadly. "I remember you, but that's about it."

"Ryo's lost a part of his memory," Rika explained. "He doesn't remember anything before meeting Cyberdramon in the Digital World or before we rescued him and brought him home. He'd been missing in our world for over a year."

"No wonder no one could find him," Kazu grinned. "It looks like he wasn't even in the right dimension."

"I guess I can't blame him for forgetting, Ken," Wormmon said, coming into view for the first time. This was Ken's partner, a caterpillar type Digimon with purple pincers and markings.

"What do you mean?" Ryo asked. "What happened?"

Ken looked at Wormmon. He wasn't too clear on that memory either due to the effects of the dark spore inside of him.

"When Ken first came to the Digital World we met you while wandering the desert. You had some Digimon with you, Ryo, that you said had joined you on your journey but that not one of them was your partner like I was to Ken. You didn't have a Digivice back then either. Then Millenniummon attacked us."

"Millenniummon?" Ryo and Ken repeated.

"Yes. He was particularly bent on fighting you Ryo. He was going on about destiny and how you and he were linked in a great thread that would decide the fate of all worlds. He ignored Ken and I for the most part but I found him to be really rude to Ken when he did take notice. The battle was a gruesome one and many of your allies fell, Ryo. In the end Millenniummon was defeated, and the three of us were the only ones left standing. But before he disappeared, he released one final attack on you Ryo, but Ken knocked you out of the way and took the blow himself."

Ken's neck pricked and his hand instinctively reached up to touch the sensitive spot.

"The dark spore," Ken muttered grimly. "So that's how it got inside of me…"

Wormmon nodded. "It was three full weeks before you recovered and after Ryo helped return you to your world… You vanished after that Ryo."

Ryo's mind whirled as parts of missing memories began to come back filling in some of the blanks.

"I remember," he gasped. "I'd been summoned to the Digital World to fight Millenniummon in the first place. I had raised a resistance force to fight him. I'd defeated him once before, but he had opened a rift that spat us out somewhere in the desert. That was when I met Ken. You joined us and together we defeated him once again, but after he returned to his world, I was pulled back into the rift. I met Monodramon in the next place I ended up. He became my partner and I finally got my own digivice. Together we ended up fighting in a tournament that turned out to be rigged to help us come out on top so that I could defeat Millenniummon again, but after we fought-!"

Ryo's eyes widened, suddenly spinning around to look at Cyberdramon.

"Millenniummon said that he was my true partner, but Monodramon fought back, saying that he was my partner now. They somehow became fused together…"

Cyberdramon nodded.

"I am the result of their struggle."

"Is that why you used to be so out of control?" Ryo frowned. "You constantly wanted to battle. Being your Tamer was a great challenge in the beginning. What made you change?"

"When we came to your world I reverted back into Monodramon. The warring interests of Millenniummon and Monodramon were settled and became fused. I am a fusion of them in both body and now in mind as well," Cyberdramon explained.

"Well this is all fascinating and I'm glad that Ryo has his memory back and all," Rika interrupted. "But we still have three missing persons right?"

"Oh I wouldn't say they're missing," Davis grinned.

"And why's that?" Izzi frowned.

"Because _they_ found _us_!" Davis laughed, pointing to three approaching figures in the gloom that were holding blazing torches that lit up the space. The light shimmered off Takato and Takuya's goggles.

"Hey!" Tai waved as they approached, Agumon right behind him.

Takuya and Takato simply grinned.

The DigiDestined who didn't know Takato gasped at the giant dinosaur Digimon that was his partner. It looked like a fusion of T-rex and raptor. Guilmon had a red hide, white underbelly, golden yellow eyes, batwing shaped ears and black markings on his face, arms, chest and feet. The one on his chest looked like a hazard-warning sign. He loomed next to Takato, matching his Tamer in height.

"Hey Tai!" Davis called back, rushing to meet the other "Goggle Heads" as Rika called them.

"What happened to your arm Davis?" Tai asked as he eyed the younger boy's sling and the ice pack strapped onto his shoulder.

"Ah well," Davis spluttered, "I kinda dislocated my shoulder. But don't worry! Joe fixed me up."

Tai frowned, but it was a concerned frown. "Are you alright?"

"Sure he is!" Veemon cried, taking his place at Davis' side. "He's got me!"

Tai laughed. "He sure does."

The eldest leader looked around, seeing the damage on the cave walls from Koichi's battle with Duskmon and noticed just how large the group of DigiDestined before him was.

"Whoa Izzi, what'd I miss?"

It took a while to reintroduce, re-explain and retell the events of everything that had happed before everyone was on the same page and of the same understanding.

"Well one of the first things we should do," Davis complained, tired of hearing the same stories retold for the um-teenth time, "is focus on getting out of here."

Tai laughed at his impatience.

"I agree," Takato nodded. "But how do we go about doing that?"

"Well Izzi was able to find you all with his computer and Guardromon's life scan readings," Tai stated. "He should be able to use his computer to find a way out of here as well."

"I'm glad you have such confidence in my abilities Tai," Izzi grimaced, "but I'm afraid that it isn't as easy as it sounds. This place is enormous. There are so many passageways and caverns that it will take days to get out. When I zoom out of our current position there is even more to this place. It's more than a maze, it's a labyrinth!"

"So what do we do?" Sora asked.

"I'm not completely sure," he admitted. "But in this situation we should head in one single direction. If there is no exit to the outside then Digmon could simply dig us out."

"Sounds like a plan. Which way should we go?" Davis grinned.

"I think we should just continue in this direction," Izzi stated. "We've come so far that it's likely that we've already made plenty of progress to any exit in this portion of the labyrinth."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Then lets get moving," Rika sighed impatiently.

Everyone wandered for hours following Izzi's directions. There didn't seem to be any end to the maze as the map on his laptop continued off the screen.

"Takato," Guilmon said for the hundredth time in the last hour, "I'm hungry."

"We're all hungry Guilmon," Henry sighed.

"Takato, if he says that one more time, I'm having Renamon skin his hide for new shoes!" Rika said through gritted teeth.

"He is getting rather annoying," JP sighed.

"Hey guys!" both Izzi and Tai yelled in unison.

"What is it?" almost everyone cried.

"Is it food?" Guilmon asked. His comment went ignored.

"We've finally reached an edge of the labyrinth!" Tai yelled excitedly.

"There's no sign of an exit, but Digmon can handle that," Izzi added.

"Absolutely!" Armadillomon smiled.

With more determination than before, the DigiDestined hurried in the direction of their possible exit. When they reached the final chamber they stopped short. It was just a smooth wall. Not many had hoped for an obvious exit like a door, but the sight of the solid blank and opposing wall was depressing all the same.

"Well, Armadillomon," Cody sighed. "Looks like we need Digmon after all."

"Gotcha," the Digimon said, stretching.

"Digi-Armor Energize!" Cody cried, holding out his D3.

The digivice flashed, but nothing happened.

"What?" Cody gasped. "Digi-Armor Energize!"

Again, nothing happened.

Davis and Yolei tried having their Digimon Armor Digivolve, but nothing happened. TK and Kari had no luck either.

Henry ran a card through his D-Power to see if he could at least activate the Modify Card: Digmon's Drill, but his D-power's card swipe function still wasn't working. None of the other Tamers got theirs to work either.

"What now?" Yolei sighed. "It appears that none of our Digimon can Digivolve now."

"I think I have an idea." Takuya grinned.

"What?" Koji asked.

"I'm gonna need Tommy and JP for this one," Takuya continued, ignoring his friend's question.

"What for?" Tommy asked as he and JP joined him.

"What would happen if we were to alternately heat and cool a section of that wall rapidly?" Takuya asked.

"The rock would become fragile!" Izzi exclaimed, catching on fast. "But how are you going to do it? Veemon can't Armor Digivolve into Flamedramon and Betamon can't digivolve to become Seadramon."

"Well yeah. Your Digimon can't Digivolve or Armor Digivolve and whatever else they can do, but we haven't tried Spirit Evolving. Koichi isn't the only one with a Digimon spirit form."

Takuya, Tommy, and JP pulled out their D-Tectors and the same data ring that had appeared on Koichi's hand before he became Löwemon formed around their free hands. They clashed their D-Tectors into the rings and yelled out in unison.

"Execute! Spirit Evolution!"

Data cocoons spun around their glowing forms and in their place three Digimon emerged.

Takuya had transformed into a humanoid Digimon with red and orange flame-themed chest, shoulder, forearm, thigh, shin and foot armor over a black body suit. He had silver gauntlets on his wrists with three holes in each. His facemask had three horns sticking out of the top, holding back the thick mane of golden hair he now had. On his belt there was a strange symbol that Koji told the others was the Legendary Warrior's symbol for fire.

"Ahh!" Takuya's new form cried. "Agunimon!"

Tommy looked like a tiny white bear that could stand upright with a streak of orange war paint on each cheek. He wore a green head guard with a yellow bear's head on the headband, metal shoulder guards with an orange arm guard on his right. He wore a green vest with the Legendary Warrior's symbol for 'ice' etched into a hexagon on the connecting chest piece and green and orange snow boots.

"Whoa!" he cried, sliding just a bit. "Kumamon!"

JP emerged in a spark of electric energy. His armor was a dark bluish-purple and yellow and had a similar appearance to Agunimon's only with a beetle theme to it. His helmet had a beetle's horn on the forehead band and his warrior's symbol for 'thunder' was marked on his thigh armor plates.

"Yah!" he cried slamming his fists together. "Beetlemon!"

"Whoa!" Everyone cried out as the three newly changed humans charged at the wall that blocked them from the outside.

"Pyro Punch!" Agunimon cried, thrusting out his fists rapidly, heating the wall until it was glowing red.

"Blizzard Blaster!" Kumamon yelled as he pulled out the missal launcher that he carried on his back and shot out rapid bursts of snowballs over the heated spot.

The two of them did this over and over again, heating and cooling in rapid succession, never giving the rock time to completely adjust to a specific temperature. After a few more minutes the wall began to crack in places.

"Now JP!" Agunimon commanded when he judged the wall to be brittle enough.

"Thunder Fist!" Beetlemon cried, electric energy crackling around his energized fist as he thrust it into the center of the section of wall that Agunimon and Kumamon had been working on. The cracks widened and gave way a little.

"Thunder Fist!" he cried again and again until the wall crumbled and let in a shaft of light from the outside. Together the three Digimon warriors widened the hole until it was large enough so that everyone could get out.

"They did it!" Davis yelled out.

"Cool," Takato awed.

"Let's get out of here already!" Rika sighed exasperated.

The group rushed over to the crude hole and scrambled out into the bright sunlight. Many sighed with relief.

"Wow," someone gasped after looking around at everyone after Takuya, JP, and Tommy de-digivolved. "How many of us are there?"

Izzi glanced around and counted off each person. "There are thirty humans, and twenty-four Digimon."

"Wow," Matt sighed. "That's a lot of us to keep track of."

Everyone was now getting his or her first real look around at the large group, except for one. Takuya was off to the side slightly clutching at the front of his shirt. His chest was hurting and he was having a little trouble breathing.

'_Did I overdo it?_' he wondered.

"Takuya? Are you alright?" Tommy asked, realizing how hard his friend was breathing.

"What?" he grinned, trying his best to hide his pain as everyone turned their attention to him out of concern. "I'm fine. I must have gone a little overboard, that's all. Why? Even though you had a blaster, aren't you a little tired from all that work?"

"Oh. I guess I am just a little bit," Tommy admitted.

"Hey, I'm a little worn out too," JP sighed dramatically, teasing Tommy. "Takuya wasn't the only one physically hammering at that wall. You had it easy with that blaster of yours."

Tommy and Takuya rolled their eyes and put their hands on their hips, but in doing so Takuya elbowed his bag and felt the folder his doctor had given him. He remembered that the medical test results for his cancer were still in there. He had planed to put off telling his friends about his cancer, but now that they were in the Digital World and had no idea what the flow of time was here in comparison to their own world, he realized that he could not have that luxury.

"Actually guys," Takuya sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "I have something to tell you that you should probably know."

Koji eyed him suspiciously. His friend was unusually serious and that was never a good sign for Takuya.

"Well, what a large bunch you all make," a woman's voice commented before Takuya could speak again. "Those senile old fools find the Master so threatening that they simply brought everyone now didn't they?"

Everyone looked up and saw a woman with silver hair wearing a red hat, dress and boots, and dark sunglasses.

"Arukenimon!" Ken gasped.

"Hello again," the woman sneered. "And how is our dear sweet Emperor?"

Ken ground his teeth, his hands balling up into fists.

The woman allowed herself an amused laugh.

"Is this it?" another voice asked sounding bored. "I was expecting a greater challenge."

This wasn't a Digimon anyone in any group was familiar with. He looked like a slim black medieval suit of armor with red eyes glowing behind his face guard. He possessed a nasty looking double bladed sword sheathed in its scabbard underneath a broad shield.

"Calm yourself Crusademon," Arukenimon smiled. "It does no good to underestimate these vermin. They have proven to be very resourceful in the past. You're sister Crusadermon learned that the hard way, didn't she?"

"She was weak," the dark knight Digimon said emotionlessly. "The one with true power in that world was Lord Lucemon. I was deeply hurt when he sent me here and not to help destroy those pesky Legendary Warriors. However, in spite of her weakness, Crusadermon was still my sweet baby sister whom I shall honor with my vengeance against the one who caused her downfall."

He looked disdainfully down at Koji who had defeated her in his spirit's mega form as MagnaGarurumon.

"Yet he is not our target," Arukenimon reminded him gently. "No, the master has something much more enjoyably painful for these unfortunate brats. Now enough chitchat. Let's get on with it."

"If you insist," the knight shrugged, unsheathing his broadsword.

"I do," the woman purred, plucking a silver hair from her head.

No one liked the way the two evil Digimon prattled on as if they weren't there. Then all hell broke loose.

* * *

Who is this new master of Arukenimon's? Will Koji survive Crusademon's vengeance plan? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

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Oh wow how long has it been since I updated this thing? too long if you ask me. :P

Ok, this fic had a few alterations, but most of this was fixing speech and grammar stuff and the usual name fixing.

I believe that the only thing i actually added to this chapter was another small insert with Kenta and Kazu mentioning the Tamers Bio-Merge after Davis makes a comment about none of them having seen a human become a digimon. Well one of you readers who had read the original posted draft reminded me in a review that the Tamers would have in fact seen something similar with the Bio-Merging evolution, so this is me inserting a few more tamers bits and correcting that little oversight. Other than that I don't believe that I added anything else to this chapter. Hope you all enjoyed it and if you haven't already please review! It's that pretty little button bar now instead of a link! :D


	7. Clash of Beliefs

Yay! The long awaited chapter 7! Sorry for the wait, but in my defense I was busy with school work. This chapter took me a little bit longer than usual to write as well so that's why it is late in coming. This chapter is mostly told from and focuses on Koji and Koichi's point of view. I got tired of describing the Digimon so if you don't know the name of one, google image it. As stated in previous chapters I'm using the English names for the Digimon and their DigiDestined. I hope you enjoy this latest chapter of the ultimate gathering of the DigiDestined.

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

**Chapter 7: Clash of Beliefs**

**The Digital World: Location: Outside the Labyrinth**

"Get him," Arukenimon purred. "Get the one the master wants."

Crusademon didn't waste any time beginning his attack. In response to the immediate threat, digivices glowed. Now that they were out of the mysterious cave with it's bizarre tunnels and unnatural properties the partner Digimon were able to finally Digivolve and fight back. Willace's Digimon Digivolved into Gargomon and Wendigomon but remained by his side as a line of defense alongside Michael's newly evolved Seadramon and Kenta's Marineangemon who was already a mega level Digimon to begin with.

Birdramon, Greymon and Garurumon attacked first, backed up by Ikkakumon, Angemon, Kabuterimon, and Togemon who attacked from a distance. Gatomon Armor Digivolved into Nefertimon and attacked head on along with ExVeemon, Aquilamon, Stingmon, and Ankylomon, followed up by the Tamer's Digimon: Growlmon, Gargomon (Henry's Terriermon), Kyubimon, Cyberdramon, and Guardromon. For some reason Suzie's Lopmon and Ai and Mako's Impmon couldn't Digivolve. Not that it appeared to matter. There were plenty of Digimon on the offensive as it was.

However, in spite their large numbers, Crusademon fought all attacking Digimon off easily. He then made a beeline for Koji, but swerved at the last second to take a swing at Takuya. Caught off guard by the unexpected attack, Takuya lost his footing and stumbled backwards. That was when Arukenimon made her move.

The woman Digimon solidified the plucked strand of hair into a needle and threw it as if it were a dart at the falling Takuya. It struck him squarely between the shoulder blades and the shock immobilized his body completely. His bag slipped off his shoulder and landed right beside him in a deflated heap since it's only real possession was the folder that contained his medical documents.

"Takuya!" Koji yelled out in alarm and rage, pulling out his D-Tector and spirit evolved into the legendary Warrior of Light: Lobomon. He looked like a human wearing Garurumon themed armor, wielding a white lightsaber. The Warrior Symbol of Light shone brightly on his shoulders. Zoe was right behind him, transforming into Kazemon, the fairy looking Warrior of Wind, her warrior's symbol located on her gloves. Koichi evolved into Löwemon again and even though Tommy and JP were still a little tired from making their exit from the cave they transformed again to help Takuya. But they were all too late.

Crusademon charged at Takuya and knocked him out rather roughly for an immobilized victim. He hefted the unconscious boy onto his shoulder and dealt a wide arching blow with his blade to intercept the would-be rescuers. Arukenimon gave a delighted laugh and reverted to her spider form, bursting out of her dress.

"Spider Thread!" she cried, depositing a rather sticky net of web on top of the Warrior DigiDestined and the partner Digimon, halting any possible pursuit.

"We have him," she grinned. "Now lets go. The master doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Crusademon didn't give any comment and merely followed her out of the DigiDestined's sight.

"Takuya!" Koji cried out in vain as he struggled with the sticky threads.

It took everyone's effort to free the captive Digimon and the Legendary Warriors, but by the time everyone was finally free Arukenimon and Crusademon were long gone.

"Damn it!" Koji choked out, slamming a fist into the ground after he reverted back to his human form. Koichi placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, but couldn't find the right words to complete the act. Tommy and JP stared numbly in the direction that their friend and leader had vanished while Zoe, in a daze, retrieved the bag that Takuya had dropped, but in her inattention she had accidently picked it up from its bottom, spilling its contents onto the ground.

She wordlessly picked up the personal articles without much interest. There wasn't much in the bag to begin with making it obvious to her that Takuya had cleared most of the contents out to make room for Tommy's present. There were a few old comic books and collectors' cards, some empty candy wrappers, and stray pieces of paper from school, some with doodles in the margins. What really caught her attention though was the official looking folder. It was hardly something she would have expected Takuya to be carrying around.

"What's that?" JP asked, staring over her shoulder.

Zoe jumped.

"D-don't know," she stuttered, holding a hand over her heart. "Don't scare me like that!"

"Jeez, Z, chill," he chuckled.

Zoe returned her attention to the folder and opened it. Its contents confused her since she couldn't comprehend what was inside. The only thing she was certain of was that it came from the local clinic in Shibuya prefecture.

"It appears to be a medical record of some kind," she stated, answering JP's question.

"Maybe Joe could look at it," Tommy suggested, coming up behind her.

"Good idea," Zoe agreed. "Hey Joe?"

The eldest boy looked up over at them. He had been attending to minor injuries that some of the Digimon had obtained during their brief confrontation with Crusademon.

"What is it?" he asked, joining them. Most of the others had followed him over. Koji had recovered his composure and from the shock of seeing his best friend kidnapped right in front of him. Now he joined his friends with Koichi remaining faithfully at his side. Zoe handed over the folder and Joe thumbed through it, his frown growing more pronounced the longer he looked. Everyone was waiting for him to speak.

"Do you have any idea what these papers are?" he asked Takuya's friends.

They shook their heads.

"I see," he mused, thumbing to a particular page in the folder. "What day was it when you came here?"

"August first," Tommy answered. "I know because it was my birthday. Why?"

"Just spit it out Joe!" Tai sighed impatiently. "What are those papers?"

"These are medical test results," Joe answered grimly. "I've had the privilege of sorting through documented records like these in the clinic I'm interning at. I'm not one hundred percent sure of the contents, but I know enough to know that these are the results of tests that were for run to confirm a case of lung cancer. …I'm afraid they're positive. These were sent to the clinic on July thirtieth."

Everyone was frozen with surprise and shock.

"That was two days ago," Zoe gasped.

"He must have gotten these before my birthday party," Tommy teared up. "That's the real reason why he was late. He was at the hospital."

"I guess we now know what he needed to tell us before Arukenimon and Crusademon appeared," JP murmured.

Koji felt numb, unable to ask what other information was contained in that folder. As usual, Koichi was somehow able to read his mind.

"Is there anything else Joe?" he asked softly.

Everyone looked at their appointed medical advisor, waiting for his response. Joe went back over the record again until he finally laid his hands on what he had been looking for. It was an x-ray of Takuya's chest cavity. Everyone watched him raise the film sheet to the sky with nervous curiosity, afraid of what those x-rays would reveal. Joe's eyes widened a fracture after looking, and suddenly began going through the record again, afraid that he was right about his own unprofessional diagnosis of the film. He was.

"Joe, you're kinda freaking us out over here," Mimi squeaked. "What's wrong?"

He sighed miserably. He hated giving bad news.

"I was hoping I was wrong, but unfortunately I'm not. According to these papers, Takuya has an advanced case of lung cancer. He's scheduled for chemotherapy in a week according to the release date, but I'm afraid that with a case this advanced… there isn't much hope even with the chemo."

Joe pulled out the x-ray again and pointed at a shadowy mass in the upper left rib cage.

"See how large and spread out it is? It must be incredibly painful for him just to climb a set of stairs or run for even a couple minutes. I wonder…"

Koji closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, blocking Joe out and tried remembering the last few times he'd seen Takuya. Since they all went to different schools they only got to meet up with each other a couple times a month.

Koji remembered that Takuya had been acting weird during Tommy's birthday party. He had shown up slightly winded and hadn't been nearly as aggressive playing soccer that day as he usually was. At the time Koji had figured that Takuya had been out of breath because he'd ran all the way from the train station. He'd also assumed that Takuya had been holding back in the soccer game on purpose to make it easier for the kids at the party to enjoy the game more. He had noticed that the athlete had grimaced a couple of times and Koji had been suspicious, but Takuya would just start smiling and goofing off as if nothing was wrong, so he'd dismissed it as a reaction to a stubbed toe or any number of possible small injuries that could be sustained during a soccer game.

Thinking back more, before Tommy's birthday, Koji realized that there had been other signs. A couple of months ago Takuya had started having a regular cough that he'd tried to hide until Koji called him out on it. He claimed that it was his allergies acting up. It was a very common answer so everyone had simply accepted it. But Koji had always had a feeling that it was much more than that. He cursed himself for never noticing his best friend's pain. He knew that he shouldn't blame himself. Cancer wasn't just something that you could simply get out of the blue like a cold. It happened gradually. The signs had been there, just unnoticeable at the time. Takuya had been able to cover it all up so well with a few of his smiles that he had managed to fool everyone. If he always smiled, how was anyone supposed to know he was hurting?

These days Koji was no longer able to hide his real feelings from his new friends, twin brother, let alone his surprisingly observant best friend. It wasn't fair that Takuya had kept him in the dark for so long when he always seemed to know what Koji was feeling. Sure Takuya hadn't known that he had cancer during that time, but couldn't he have let his best friend know that he was hurting? That he felt that there was something wrong with him? Or had he been just as clueless about his own condition as everyone else that he hadn't known either?

"Koji?"

He started. Koichi was staring at him with concern.

"I'm sorry, what?" Koji asked weakly, shaking himself out of his thoughts. He hated how they were all now staring at him with sympathy. They didn't know him or Takuya and he wasn't sure he wanted them to. They were all strangers and he had never been good with other people. …That was more of Takuya's area.

"We're going to move out now," Tai said, placing what was supposed to be a comforting hand on Koji's free shoulder. "We're too exposed out here and there's no way we can go back into those caves. If Crusademon and Arukenimon were to come back and chase us in there we'd get lost and separated all over again. We wouldn't be of any help to your friend then. Izzi believes that he's found a good spot north of here to make camp according to his laptop and Guardromon's readings. We can figure out what to do from there."

Koji simply nodded. It was better than doing nothing, but he wasn't sure he wanted to be taking orders from the older boy. It felt like Tai had automatically taken charge of the large group the moment he had joined up with them and everyone simply seemed to follow him without question. Even that hotheaded girl Rika was listening to him.

While they all headed for the "good spot" that Izzi had found, Koji watched Tai keenly. He hated to admit it but Tai did make a good leader. He listened to other people's opinions, tried to keep conversation light, but never to the extent that made him appear uncaring or oblivious to the situation. It turned out that in the short time Tai and been with the large group he had already learned everyone's name and had a way of making them feel as if they'd been friends for years instead of acquaintances who'd really only known each other for roughly half a day.

Tai soon became the least of Koji's worries and musings. Takuya's 'kidnapping' (for lack of a better word for the situation) had also shifted to the back of his mind as an even more irritating and currently more pressing matter was brought to his attention. Tai was nice to everyone and his sister Kari seemed to share that same trait… except towards his twin. It wasn't just her either. The boy he'd saved – TK – and the little boy from their group called Cody ignored Koichi as if he wasn't there. Whenever they did acknowledge him it would be with a glare or cold stare. The others in their group seemed cautious of Koichi as well, but they at least attempted to be civil. As for the DigiDestined group that called themselves Tamers (they seemed to prefer being called that over DigiDestined), didn't know what was going on, but seemed to go with the majority and acted cautious around Koichi as well. It didn't take Koji long to figure out why either. It was pretty obvious.

It was because Koichi was the Legendary Warrior of Darkness. This made Koji angry. His twin was by far the kindest person he'd ever known and had better people skills then he, the Warrior of Light, had. He wasn't the only one who had noticed either. Loyal friends till the end, JP, Zoe, and Tommy distracted Koichi from the coldness of the other DigiDestined. Koji was glad to have friends like them to help his brother when he was incapable of doing much himself. He wasn't good at comforting others, not even his own brother. This bothered him to no end. All he could do was get angry and talk back when Koichi couldn't or – in this case – wouldn't.

The place that Izzi had brought them to was a small clearing in the middle of a dense forest. It was reasoned that if they were attacked, they could seek refuge in the woods. Not many were able to move about so freely with so much vegetation and foliage. Tai assured Koji that they'd come up with a solution to find and save Takuya, but for the moment they were in unknown territory, knew nothing about their enemies, had no idea where to even start looking and therefore had no real way to help the Warrior of Fire at the present time. What Tai thought was necessary at the moment, though, was to get everyone to relax and get to know each other. Who knew how long they'd be staying in this Digital World? They might as well try to get along.

They got a couple fires going, food scavenged, and everything became soothingly peaceful. Soon after bellies were full, everyone was too tired and happy to remember that Koichi represented Darkness. This was easily forgotten partially due to Koichi's own shy smiles and polite way of speaking. Koji was able to relax and enjoy himself as well, finding that he had been right about Tai assuming leadership. This time it didn't bother him.

Tai was obviously experienced in this sort of role, and had already gained the respect of everyone around him in such little time. Koji found that he got along well with the charismatic leader. Davis was another person that Koji found that he could get along with and it wasn't because the goggle-head had saved him from falling in the cylindrical light cavern. The boy was almost like another Tai, but didn't take him long to realize the real reason why he got along so well with the two of them. Both boys reminded him painfully of Takuya. His friend's absence had an even greater effect on Koji then he had initially realized.

After dinner and a lot of chatting, it came time to make sleeping arrangements and arrange a watch guard. It was agreed that they would have four man shifts switching off every three hours. Tai, Davis, Takato, and Koichi were assigned to the first group; Matt, Kari, Henry, and Koji had the second; Joe, TK, Rika, and Zoe had the third; ending with Izzi, Yolei, Ryo, and JP to take the final watch of the night. The first watch had gone smoothly until the time it came for the first guard switch.

Koji hadn't been able to sleep at all and looked too tired to be take his watch shift. He'd been worrying about Takuya again and what those evil Digimon could be doing to him. Still, he headed for the outskirts of the camp under a tree where his twin was positioned for watch duty. When Koichi saw the state of his brother, he volunteered to take a double shift and cover for him so that Koji could sleep more, but Koji immediately refused.

"I can't let you do that," Koji sighed with a suppressed yawn.

"Yes you can," Koichi chuckled softly. "Besides, I'm not even tired yet. Honest. It'll be all right Koji. I don't mind being out here in the dark."

"I bet," Kari muttered darkly as she passed by to switch guard duties with Davis. She had risen from the nearest group of sleepers that happened to be made up of all the girls.

Koji glared at her.

"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked.

"Why should he mind the dark?" Kari shrugged. "It's only his element. The darkness of the night must be a real comfort to him."

Koichi noted the angry posture of his twin, but Kari didn't seem too.

"It is rather calming," Koichi smiled, trying to dispel the increasingly hostile and awkward tension in the air. "Especially out here where-"

"I knew it," Kari scoffed. "You're actually enjoying our situation, aren't you?"

"I beg your pardon?" Koichi inquired politely, utterly confused by the turn in direction of the conversation.

Others sleeping nearby had woken upon hearing Kari's raising voice. It had attracted the attention of the others changing watch shifts as well.

"Only an agent of darkness would find this place soothing. Especially at night," Kari spat, too tired to really consider what she was saying.

Koji's hands balled into fists.

"What's going on here?" Tai asked, coming over with Davis and Matt.

"I'm not quite sure," Koichi blinked, glancing from his increasingly enraged twin to the accusing Kari.

"Don't play that game," Kari growled.

"I honestly don't –!" Koichi spluttered.

WHAP!

Koichi remained frozen where he stood, shocked. His cheek slowly turning pink from the forming a welt caused by the hard slap that Kari had just given him.

"Don't play dumb," she cried. "I won't let you make me out to be a fool."

"You seem to be doing that yourself," Koji told her softly.

She didn't hear the dark warning undertone in his voice, but Matt had.

"I think that's enough Kari," Matt said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're tired. You're saying things you don't really mean. Why don't you switch shifts with Yolei? You can have her later shift so that you can get some more sleep."

"I'm fine," Kari insisted. "He's the problem. I don't trust him. Who could trust anyone with darkness as their attribute?"

Koichi finally understood the reason for Kari's hostilities and just in time to stop Koji who had just about snapped after hearing Kari's last comment. Koichi grabbed his twin's arm. Koji glared at him, but relaxed his fist. Kari saw the glare and the raised fist but with her sleep-fogged mind she mistook it's meaning.

"Humph," she sighed. "Not even your twin trusts you."

That did it.

Koji raised the fist again, not caring in the slightest that he was about to hit a girl, when –

WHAP!

Kari's eyes flew wide open as she recoiled from the slap. Everyone stood stunned. They had expected Koji to hit her or even possibly Zoe who had come over from her nearby sleeping space with the other girls to do just that, but no one had expected Tai. His hand was still raised and his arm was tense as if shocked by the action it had just committed, but his face was a mask of disappointment and sorrow. He hadn't enjoyed hitting his sister, but he wasn't about to let someone else do it even if she deserved it.

"Tai?" she gasped, hurt.

"That's enough Kari," he said softly. "Do as Matt suggested and switch watches with Yolei."

"Why?" Kari cried. "Why'd you hit me? Are you taking his side?"

"I'm taking no one's side," he answered simply. "You went too far Kari. I'd usually demand that you give an apology, but I can see that you won't at the moment. Now go get Yolei… On second thought, wake Sora. She can have your shift instead. Yolei can keep hers. I want you to sleep and think about what you've said tonight."

He walked up to her and kissed her on the cheek that he'd slapped.

"I know you'll do the right thing in the end," he whispered in her ear. "You always do. Now go to sleep and clear your head."

She stared numbly at him, the disbelief evident in her eyes.

Tai turned away from his sister, their conversation over, and looked at the twins before him.

"So who's taking the shift?" He asked.

"I am, like I said I would," Koji stated, before Koichi could talk him out of it again. He was wide-awake now.

Tai nodded. "Alright then. Koichi, do you know where you're sleeping?"

Koichi was thrown for a moment. He hadn't really thought about it. He'd assumed that he could talk Koji into letting him take his shift and simply join his brother after that, but now that that Koji was going to take his scheduled shift, he didn't know. He was almost afraid after his unexpected confrontation with Kari.

Tai saw the boy's indecision and smiled softly.

"Why don't you join Davis and I? Our spot's a little far from the fire, but we've got Agumon to keep us warm. He's practically a walking space heater with that Pepper Breath of his."

Koji felt immediately grateful to the older boy. That was twice Tai had helpfully intervened that night for his brother's sake.

"Yeah!" Davis grinned the moment Tai suggested it. "You can have the spot next to me and Ken. We'll even save a spot for you, Koji, so you can join us after your shift!"

Koji nodded his thanks at Davis.

"Alright…" Koichi smiled, but glanced hesitantly at Koji, who squeezed his hand comfortingly and gave a small imperceptible nod of approval.

"Great!" Matt said, clapping his hands together. "Now that that's settled, Koji, you and I have a watch shift to start. See the rest of you in the morning!"

"Yeah," Tai yawned. "Let's hit the hay guys."

Davis however, chatted animatedly with Koichi all the way over to their sleeping spot. Tai had gone off to make sure that Kari had woken Sora and went to sleep herself before he rejoined them, tired, but just as open and warm to Koichi as Davis. Ken was equally welcoming to the outcast boy and moved over some so that there would be room for Koji when he joined them later.

"So tell me Koichi," Tai sighed, resting his head on his crossed arms. "What set Kari off? I've never seen her act like that before."

Koichi looked away from him, as well as Davis and Ken who were waiting curiously for his answer.

"Koji looked tired when he came to start his shift so I had volunteered to do it for him," Koichi explained from the beginning. "I told him that I wasn't tired or anything like he was and that I didn't mind the dark. Kari had overheard that last bit. I told her that the dark was rather calming and she … I don't know, she just got mad."

"Hmm," Tai mused. "Why _do_ you think it's calming?"

"Well it isn't all the time, like when we were in those tunnels. I just found it calming tonight, especially out here where we can see the stars," he said looking towards the heavens. "You can't see the stars like this where I live with my mom."

Tai smiled. It was rather nice out in spite of all that they had gone through since they'd arrived in this world.

"She didn't give me a chance to explain," Koichi sighed. "Then things just got worse from there."

Davis laughed. "Well Kari can be pretty stubborn in her own way."

Tai chuckled darkly. "Yeah, but you should know that she isn't always like that. She just doesn't have any good experiences with the forces of darkness Koichi. None of us have, really. It's always been the main attribute of our enemies – not that we think you're an enemy!"

Koichi laughed softly. "I know. I'm used to reactions like hers, anyways."

They all smiled sympathetically.

"You know," Davis mused, "You're brother told us what happened to you."

Koichi looked over at him.

"Really?" he asked.

"Yup! And I feel for ya man," Davis smiled. "Ken here has had a similar experience."

"Really?" Koichi asked, looking over at the other raven-haired boy.

Ken nodded sadly. "I was once under the influence of dark forces through the effects it had on the dark spore that's embedded in my neck. I ended up hurting a lot of people, including those who became my friends. I realized my mistakes though, and with everyone's help, especially Wormmon's and Davis', I was later able to forgive myself, move on and make the friends I have today."

Tai nodded. "Unfortunately its experiences like that that tend to make us see things in black and white with no real grey areas. And you are definitely a grey area, Koichi. We've never met anyone who's used the powers of darkness for good, so it's new for us to meet someone as nice as you who _does_ have control over that power. I know you're good and most of the others know that too, but some, like Kari, are just unsure of what to make of you yet. Give it time and she and everyone else will come around. She is Light after all. Darkness simply frightens her."

"But Koji is the _Warrior_ of Light," Davis pointed out. "How come he isn't… you know?"

Tai shrugged. "Well they _are_ brothers Davis. Twins even. It's kind of hard to hate someone you share such a strong bond with."

Koichi smiled.

"I had asked him that myself once after we had met."

"What did he say?" Ken asked curiously.

"He said that despite the fact that we are identical twins we are complete opposites, but it is _because_ we are opposites that we can appreciate each other for who we are. We balance each other out. Takuya had once explained to us that we are like the yin and yang symbol. We had always wondered why he was Light and I was Dark since he has the darker, moodier personality, while I'm a more go-with-the-flow kind of person and prefer to avoid any confrontation if I can help it. Takuya said that while its true Koji has the darker personality, he is really passionate and surprisingly idealistic on the inside, while I tend to think pessimistically and have some rather depressing thoughts. We are exactly like the symbol. Koji's exterior is dark and mine bright, but our inner cores or selves are the exact opposite."

Tai nodded. He too had noticed that their attributes didn't seem to fit their personalities, but when it was explained like that, it made perfect sense. Koji was the stronger of the two, so he got the stronger, brighter, element while Koichi was weaker, humbler, and therefore more susceptible to the influences of the darker element.

"Well I don't think you'll be having much trouble with Kari from now on," Davis yawned.

"Oh?" Koichi blinked. "Why's that?"

"Because Ken and I'll be hanging with ya. Like Tai said, she'll come around. Especially once she sees what good friends you, Ken, Tai, Koji and I'll become. TK and Cody will come around too eventually."

"That's right Davis," Tai said in a sarcastic tone. "It'll be all because you're with him."

"Well it worked with Ken!" Davis huffed indignantly. "Why not Koichi?"

Ken chuckled and shook his head. "He has a point Tai. I might not be here if Davis hadn't stuck up for me back when no one else would and persistently backed me up until I joined you all and got the others to accept me after the whole 'Digimon Emperor' fiasco."

Tai shrugged. "Fair enough. I'm just saying it's going to take more than Davis' sparkling personality. But he's right Koichi. They'll come around eventually."

"Thank you," Koichi smiled.

"No prob!" Davis grinned. "You're a DigiDestined too, whether they like it or not! We _all _have to stick together."

"He's right," Ken nodded. "I'll stick by you too."

"Yup," Tai smirked. "You tragic types gotta stick up for one another after all."

Ken playfully punched the older boy in the shoulder, getting a noogie in return. Davis got in there as well, wrestling with Tai only to end up in a headlock with Ken until they both quietly cried 'uncle.' It was in this state that Koji found them in after switching shifts with Zoe.

"Do you guys even know the meaning of sleep?" he scolded, hands on hips.

"Whoa is it that late already?" Tai chuckled, releasing his captives from his grasp.

Koichi laughed softly. Koji eyed his twin curiously, but didn't comment. It was obvious that Koichi now felt comfortable around these boys and Koji wasn't about to make things awkward for him. They all settled down and dropped off instantly to sleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

But what of Takuya? I doubt he is resting peacefully. To find out his fate tune in next time for Digimon Digital Monsters!

* * *

What really took me so long in releasing this chapter was the writing the scene with the argument between Koji, Koichi and Kari. It took me a long time to perfect it because I wanted to remain as true to her character as possible and this is the ending result. I was gonna do some bitch slapping, but i thought that Kari getting hit by Tai would have a greater effect then a slap from Zoe. It carried more weight in my opinion and that's why it happened the way it did. In my defense for this argument, Kari does have a violent streak (she's related to Tai after all) so it wasn't too out of bounds of me to have her slap Koichi and hold an argument with him. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I promise that there is more action to come in later chapters. I've already started on chapter 8, so lets hope I can get it up within the week.

Ok... so this is a revised chapter. I'm revising these as i write Parent Worries, so rereaders just bear with these revisions instead of new chapters. Nothing really changed in this chapter either except an insert and rewrite here and there. I added in the mention of Willace's partners digivolving into Gargomon and Wendigomon, but that's about it. :P


	8. Mind Control

Woo hoo! Wow. I didn't think I'd get chapter 8 out so soon after chapter 7. I have once again held off revealing who the evil mastermind is that has caused the celestial digimon to summon all these DigiDestined due to two reasons: 1. I do not know who it is myself yet (still deciding whether I wanna go with a powered up villain from a past season or come up with one of my own). and 2. because it's more fun this way to draw it out into more of a quest type of story (which is my favorite kind). This story is kinda just writing itself now. I have introduced one of the villain's evil toadies, Aiyokumon, and mentioned another. There are seven total and they all have some relation to one of the 7 deadly sins. I will admit that the inspiration of the idea originated from the series Full Metal Alchemist. I haven't quite decided whether I want to expand on this idea yet, but we'll see. Like I said this story has kinda begun to write itself. Not even I know how it's going to end. I do have an idea of the means to it's end though. It will be tragic, but it will also be happy. I can't stand non-happy endings. Enjoy and please review!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Mind Control**

**The Digital World: Location: Unknown**

While everyone else was comfortably falling asleep in the clearing, Takuya was waking up. His entire body ached and his vision was blurred. Not that it mattered. There wasn't much to see anyways. He was in a dimly lit cavern, his hands chained high above his head, and his legs were chained to the wall limiting his movements.

"Ah," a woman's voice mused softly. "He is awake."

Takuya had been expecting Arukenimon, but instead a beautiful young woman in her late teens or early twenties stepped out of the shadows. She had long golden hair hanging over her left shoulder, large dark green eyes, and the most beautifully perfect face and body that any model would have been envious of her. In fact she was so beautiful that it was obvious that she wasn't human.

"Who are you?" Takuya choked.

"Who am I?" she repeated with an enchanting smile. "I am Aiyokumon."

"Aiyokumon?" Takuya repeated. "Aiyoku as in 'lust' in Japanese?"

"You got it," she grinned. "I am the result of all the desires of the Digimon in this world, your digital world, and the other DigiDestined's digital worlds. And right now _I_ desire something of _yours_."

She approached Takuya and laid a hand over his heart. Suddenly his chest was ablaze with pain. He cried out in agony, his heart throbbing painfully under her touch and the tumor in his left lung seemed to pulse inside his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. She smiled sweetly before removing her hand, taking the pain away with it. Takuya panted heavily with sweat trailing down his face. What had she done to him?

"Aww," she cooed. "Poor baby."

She ran a long delicately slim finger down the side of his face, stopping under his chin. Tilting his face up to her own she examined him.

"You'll do quite nicely, my new pet," she mused. "That Arukenimon has her uses after all. What the master could possibly want with her I'll never know. Especially when he has me and the other six Zaigou Digimon and Crusademon, who has his own practical uses at least. Anyway, DigiDestined Takuya Kanbara, human host to the Flame Warrior's spirit, I have something delicious planed for you and your little friends. I have been ordered to keep my eye on you, but I'm allowed a little fun as well."

Takuya didn't like the sound of that. She's nearly made his chest explode for amusement. What could she possibly do to him that would be 'fun?' He got his answer.

"Oh! I know!" she squealed delightedly like a little girl who had been given free reign of a toy store and has finally decided what she's going to do first. "I'm going to turn you into my next playmate! Netamashiimon won't approve of it, but he won't be able to help himself if I let him have a turn with you. He is the essence of 'envy' after all."

Then she smiled sinisterly, tapped Takuya in the center of his forehead, and all went black again…

* * *

Aiyokumon stepped back and stared at her new 'boy-toy.' He was rather good looking for a human. His body was well toned from playing sports, well kept, and completed by an angelic face, looking even more angelic in sleep. It was faces like this that really got her blood boiling once they were contorted with pain. She'd have her fun with this one for sure. It was simply a bonus for her that he was the possessor of the Warrior of Flame's spirit. She unchained the boy from the wall and had her minions – little gray rabbit looking Digimon called Gazimon – carry him to her inner chambers.

She had them set him down on the low table where she worked. She stared at his face while she decided how she was going to proceed with making him her puppet. There were so many ways to do a possession: potions, spells, charms, forceful possession… Oh, she hadn't done a forceful possession in a while. It was so crude to have to do it that way, but it was oh so fun. Potions were boringly simple and by far the easiest since spells and charms took time and endless patience. While her mind was fiddling with the idea of doing a forceful possession, on a whim she lowered her face to Takuya's and was about to kiss him when a shield of flame erupted around him.

"Interesting," she grinned gleefully. "It appears that the warrior's spirit is in control while the human soul has shut down. This _is_ going to be fun."

She finally knew how to proceed. She was going to be forceful in her possession and have her fun with the boy, but first she needed to break down that barrier and as a result subdue the warrior's spirit. She grabbed a couple of her long blond strands of hair, made sure they were relatively equal in length, and knotted them into an elegantly braided ball. Then she skipped over to her potions cupboards and carefully selected a blue vile. She dropped the hairball into the solution, watching it fizz. It turned purple, then sparked into a flaming red, perfect for the Warrior of Flame. Being very careful not to spill her concoction, she tilted the boy's face upwards again, ignored the flame barrier that activated when she pried his mouth open and drizzled the solution down his throat, so as not to drown the host body. The flame barrier around Takuya weakened when more of the potion entered his system and soon it fizzled out completely.

"Nighty night guardian spirit," Aiyokumon squealed delightedly. "I'll make sure to take real good care of your host's body."

She snapped her unburnt fingers and the Gazimon lifted the boy off the table and brought him into her inner sanctum, laying him on the carpeted floor. While they were placing Takuya in her room, Aiyokumon healed her burned hand and changed her attire. Instead of her usual flowing black dress, she opted for her black tightly fitted leather pants and black tube top. She pulled her long tresses back in a tight braid and wound it around her head like a crown, pinning it firmly in place. It wouldn't do if the boy was somehow able to move after drinking the potion and put up enough of a struggle to yank her hair out. Her hair was her life in a way. Next she fingered through her collection of torture devices, selecting an old favorite, her fang encrusted snake whip.

"Time for our guest to wake up," she smiled to herself as she cracked the whip experimentally. She loved the way it hissed through the air just before she twisted her wrist to make the loud cracking sound that echoed through the chambers like lightening.

She paused for a moment, looking at the serenely blissful expression on Takuya's face. Soon it would be contorted in sweet agony. She couldn't wait anymore. She knelt over him, prodding him in the same spot she had used to knock him out. Takuya moaned slightly, slowly opening his eyes.

He did not like the position he now found himself in. Takuya was helpless, unable to move effectively due to the potion's side effects. It was meant to knock out the fire spirit within him, but it had also drained most of his body's energy in order to do so. It took a lot to knock out Agunimon's spirit, so there was little energy left inside of Takuya himself since he was only a simple human boy.

Aiyokumon stroked his cheek absently, wondering where to begin. She decided that she liked how uncomfortable her proximity made him, so she leaned in closer, her rather large bosom pressing against his chest, and ran her fingers through his hair, down his neck and then his spine. Takuya shivered involuntarily. She liked that. Wondering what other sort of reactions she could get out of him, Aiyokumon began to toy even further with the adolescent youth. He didn't like it when she played with the collar and buttons of his red shirt so she decided to take it off, only to be confronted with the yellow one underneath, but she found it no fun to toy with this shirt because it didn't get any reaction out of Takuya so she let it be. He had quickly realized she only did something if she thought it'd get a reaction out of him. By staying calm while she toyed with his remaining shirt, he had avoided loosing it with his red one.

She ran her tongue along his neck, lightly nipping him every now and then. He tensed and shivered once again in spite of trying to repress the internal tremors. She ran her lips along his jaw line but halted at the chin. Takuya had reflexively pursed his lips. She had found her entrance point. Tilting his head up to hers, she ran her lips over his tightly closed ones. He would not open them no matter what she did, so she decided that the intimate stage was over. It was time to get rough.

She jabbed her knee into his side and he let out an involuntary gasp for air, allowing her access. She latched on to his mouth before he could close it again and ran her tongue over his, but unlike a human tongue, hers was more like a snake, slithering down his throat. He couldn't breathe as she exhaled, releasing a noxious gas inside of him. Takuya thrashed about underneath, trying to throw her off, but she held fast like a predator that had found it's prey, caught it, and was about to consume it. One moment she was effortlessly pinning him to the floor and then the next moment she was gone.

Takuya choked and spluttered now that he was free from her grasp. He actually threw up after the realization of what had just happened registered in his thought process. That woman had _kissed_ him! It had been his first kiss too!

"_Aww_," her voice sighed rather angrily. "_I liked that carpet. Now it's soiled_."

Takuya jerked up, looking around the room to find the source of her voice. She had just disappeared into thin air and was nowhere to be seen.

Aiyokumon's voice giggled, the sound resounding inside his head. His head…

"_Ah, so you've noticed_," she purred.

Takuya slumped rigidly against the nearest wall. She was _inside_ of him!

She giggled again, delighted by his horror.

"_Now come join me_."

Takuya felt a shocking jolt rake through his body and his vision of the room around him began to fade. He was still awake, still conscious, but not in any real sense. His body was slumped against the wall where the Gazimon were retrieving it and cleaning up his vomit. He could still feel, smell and hear them, but those sensations quickly faded until he was left with nothing. One by one his senses left him until there was nothing left to feel but his emotions.

Suddenly Takuya could see again, but it wasn't the room he had been in. It was a pitch-black space, yet he could see himself clearly, his body aglow in a light orange color. He wasn't alone there either. Somehow Agunimon was there too, but he didn't look right. He was standing erect, frozen, eyes closed, and his skin and armor were glowing a pale ice blue instead of a fiery orange like Takuya's.

"Welcome to the inner sanctum of your mind," Aiyokumon's voice spoke. "This is the place where you house Agunimon's spirit inside of you. You only visit here within the deepest of dreams or when you transform into the Digimon Warrior of Flame himself. But from now on you will remain here for the rest of your stay in this digital world or the rest of your short life. Depends on which ends first," she cackled. "But don't worry. I won't leave you without some sort of entertainment. I'll chat with you regularly. Isn't that nice of me?"

She became visible to him, glowing a pale green, making her look even more snake-like than she had before when she was "kissing" him. Her attire looked even more sinister than it had before as well, especially now that she was wielding the whip. With a flick of her wrist and a loud crack she had Takuya by the throat. Because this was all inside his mind he had no need to breath, but the crack of the whip and the accompanying burn against his "skin" still hurt. He cried out as she whirled him around and planted a spiked heel in the center of his back.

She had knocked the Fire Spirit into submission with a quick and easy potion, so now she wanted to take her time dominating the true possessor of the body. Hearing his cries of agony was bliss to her. This is what she had wanted from him; the sounds of his pain, his agony, his suffering. He had a strong mind though so he didn't go down easy, which was just the way Aiyokumon preferred them. It thrilled her. She let loose with the whip and lashed out at him with the fanged butt of the pommel, cutting him. He may have had the "home field advantage" as it were, but he had never fought a mental battle before so she had experience on her side, wearing him down little by little until finally his glowing aura was so faded he looked like a ghost. His mental form was just barely there. He lay crumpled on the floor of his mind waiting for her to end it.

"I'm not going to kill you," she laughed, reading his mind. "If I kill you, my master would be very put out. That and I wouldn't be able to use your body to my liking. I can't animate the dead you know."

With a wave of her hand, whispery silver chains snaked around his body, dragging him into a standing position and left him hanging limply as if he were a pathetic scarecrow.

"Good-bye for now Takuya," Aiyokumon smiled. "It's been real fun."

* * *

Aiyokumon was rummaging around in her potions cupboards again. Now that she and forced Takuya's mind into submission she needed a particular brew to keep him that way. A potion that was too strong would kill him and one that was too weak could allow him to recover enough to break free of the spell she was preparing to cast on his body. Finally she found what she required. She didn't want Takuya to be under submission completely. No, she wanted him to be conscious enough to see what she would make him do to his friends. For this she would need another potion that would have to be given to the boy regularly, but she had plenty of it on hand already.

The pain of vulnerability was one of her favorite types of pain. When she had been inside Takuya's mind, she knew that she could get him to experience that pain easily. He cared for his friends too much for his own good. She would exploit that weakness, but first she needed to make him hers.

She skipped back to the unconscious body that once again looked peacefully angelic now that it was no longer suffering. She unstopped the tiny bottle she held and poured its contents down Takuya's throat. She knew she had to wait at least five minutes before its full power would take effect so she left to go terrorize the Gazimon for a little while.

* * *

Takuya couldn't believe it. He was chained in the confines on his own mind. Agunimon had remained unresponsive to his calls and it was then that he realized that he was truly alone. No one could reach him here. He'd never felt so helpless before in his life. His "body" felt weak and he couldn't even begin to imagine how he would find a way out of his situation. This wasn't the physical world. This wasn't a problem that had even occurred to him before.

If it was possible he felt himself getting even weaker. Aiyokumon had no doubt forced another potion into his body. He had read her thoughts when she had been battling him inside this weird dimension that was his mind and knew what she had done to him and what she was planning to do in the future. She was going to gain control over his body and set him loose on his friends, but leave him with enough consciousness to feel everything. This thought made him despair. He'd feel everything that she would make him do. He'd feel the blows he'd soon trade with his friends, hear their voices call out to him but would be unable to respond, and see their looks of betrayal when he attacked them.

This was quite possibly the lowest moment in Takuya's life.

* * *

Aiyokumon was delighted. The boy was now under her complete control. Her combination of spells and potions had worked perfectly as always. She had her new puppet dancing around the room with her. With just one thought in her mind, Takuya's body instantly responded to her whim, while deep inside the recesses of his mind Takuya's true consciousness was forced to watch and felt deeply annoyed. She could speak to him directly with her mind due to some kind of synchronization potion she had forced him to drink.

She had made him do simple little tasks at first like getting her a glass of water to test out her control over the body. Then she'd wanted to test his battle capabilities. Takuya was frustrated by how easily his body responded to her demands without any resistance at all. He had even Spirit Evolved without being in control much to his despair and Aiyokumon's delight. It was only a matter of time before she would set him loose on his friends. When that happened, Takuya sincerely hoped that his lung cancer would come into play and that it wasn't already part of Aiyokumon's calculated plans. He couldn't attack anyone if his body couldn't function. But she must have given him a strengthening potion of some kind because if he had been in control, his body wouldn't have been able to handle all the dancing she was now making him do. He could only hope a battle with his friends would quickly tax his body's energy and prevent him from seriously hurting anyone.

* * *

**The Digital World: Location: Clearing in the Woods**

Zoe awoke with a yawn. She hadn't slept that well and she thoroughly blamed Kari for it. It was Kari who had woken her up and it was Kari's one-sided argument with Koichi last night that had prevented her from going to sleep until after her shift change with JP. She was sorely tempted to kick the brunet awake now, but decided against it. Others were waking all around her and she'd get caught for sure.

Instead, she rose from her spot next to Rika and Mimi and stretched. She noticed JP leaning against the tree where they had taken their watch position and joined him.

"Morning Zo," he grinned tiredly.

"Morning," she mumbled.

"Some night," he sighed, running a hand through his tousled brown hair.

She nodded. They both knew what he meant.

"How was he?" she asked.

JP and Tommy had been sleeping in a spot close to where Koichi had slept with Tai and some of the other boys. She'd forgotten to ask JP this when they had changed shifts four hours earlier.

"He appeared fine," JP shrugged. "They were pretty nice to him from what I could see. Tommy swears they were laughing about something."

Zoe smiled. She hoped that was the case. Koichi wasn't one to make a fuss and rarely spoke out loud. He kept too many things bottled up inside so it was nice to think that he had begun to open up a little.

"How'd you sleep?" JP asked.

Zoe made a face.

"That bad huh?" he chuckled then sighed. "Me neither. Barely slept a wink."

Zoe looked at him, realizing how beat he looked.

"Why don't you get some rest now?" she suggested. "I don't think we'll be moving out any time soon."

JP shrugged, but made no move to lie down.

"I don't think I can, Zo," he said softly. "I keep seeing Takuya. Every time I close my eyes I see his shocked face. The light just leaves his eyes and they close."

Zoe knelt down next to him and closed her eyes. She could picture it too, the last haunting image of her friend before he was spirited away by Arukenimon and Crusademon.

JP sighed and ran his hand through his hair again.

"Don't you two look like the waking dead," they heard Koji's voice chuckle.

They looked up. Koji was standing before them with Koichi and Tommy, none of them looking much better. Koji had seen JP and Zoe in the distance and decided to grab Tommy on his way over with Koichi. He figured it was time for a group meeting.

"You're one to talk," JP yawned, resting his arms behind his head.

The corner of Koji's mouth twitched into a smile, but it never reached his eyes. No one had slept well, not even Tommy who'd had a full night's sleep with no watch responsibilities.

"We all know why we need to talk," Koji started. "One of us is missing. I doubt anyone had any pleasant dreams last night."

Tommy sniffled and Koichi – being the nearest to him – rested a hand on his shoulder. Zoe looked at the ground allowing her hair to fall forward forming a curtain, hiding her face. JP stared up at the tree's branches and a sky that couldn't be seen. Koji sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"We need to get him back somehow," Tommy whimpered. "Who knows what that creepy lady and that bully are doing to him."

"I'm sure he's fine Tommy," Koichi assured him. "This is Takuya we're talking about. He's the strongest in our group aside from Koji. I'm sure he's all right. He wouldn't go down without a fight."

"He's right," Koji agreed. "He's even stronger then me sometimes. If any of us were in trouble, it'd be Takuya who'd get us out of it."

'_But who's going to get _him_ out of trouble?_' Zoe wondered.

JP looked like he was thinking along those same lines.

"Don't worry," Koji assured Tommy once more. "We'll get him back."

"Hell yes we will!" a voice said behind him.

They were all startled to see Davis with Ken hanging back a few feet.

"Sorry to butt in," Davis grinned, "but I couldn't help overhearing. It's a bad habit, I know, but I just wanted you guys to know that Tai is organizing everyone to get ready to leave in five minutes."

"Thanks Davis," Koichi smiled back.

"No prob!" the goggle-head nodded. "And don't worry about your friend. We'll find him for sure! We'll make it our number one priority. We need to stick together if we're all going to make it through this. And I mean _all_ of us."

He cast a meaningful look at Koichi, grinned, and set off with Ken to let others who were just waking up know what was going on.

"Quite the optimist," JP grumbled.

"Someone has to be," Zoe smiled sadly.

"Could you imagine him getting along with Takuya?" Koichi chuckled.

"Oh God," Zoe laughed. "This world wouldn't stand a chance. We'd end up maiming one of them just to get them to shut up."

They all laughed at the thought, but it ended too quickly.

They helped others pack up the camp, which didn't take long since nobody had any real supplies. Food was scarce that morning as well so breakfast was really short lived, most of it was given to the younger ones and Guilmon who couldn't do without. While most were eating, Tai and Izzi were sitting off to the side determining what to do and where to go next. They tried getting in touch with Gennai, their guide from their Digital world, but they couldn't get a connection. They then went through the possibilities of looking for a more populated area where they could get some adequate supplies. Luckily Izzi's laptop detected what appeared to be a near by city area that was half a day's walk east of their current position. When Tai announced this idea many instantly agreed, but Koji and his group really wanted to go looking for Takuya.

"I know that this is rough on you guys," Tai told them, "but we need to be practical. At least in this city we may be able to find a lead. Maybe someone there knows something about Crusademon or Arukenimon's location or who they're working for. Besides, Joe needs more medical supplies. If Takuya is hurt, Joe will need the right equipment to help him. I know that you'd love nothing more than to go off and find him, but we're going to need to stick together on this. You saw how easily Crusademon held us off. Separated we can't do anything, but together we stand a chance. 'There's strength in numbers' as the saying goes."

They agreed, but only because what Tai said made sense. None of them had any medical knowledge and Joe had proven himself to be useful so far. How they had survived their adventures in their Digital World without serious injury was a miracle now that they thought about it.

As the whole group moved out, Tai once again took the lead with Izzi and this time Matt joined them. Koji thought about joining them at the front to find out more about what their plans were once they reached the city, but he was more concerned with Koichi. Kari had been avoiding them that morning but now she was approaching them. Koichi hadn't noticed this yet because he was engaged in a conversation with Ken while Davis simply walked beside them. Koji tense as she drew nearer, but that was it. She didn't look like she was going to hit his twin again. In fact, she looked rather embarrassed.

"Uh… Koichi?" she muttered.

Koichi started and turned to face her. Davis looked curiously over at Kari, but his eyes betrayed how worried he really was. He didn't want another fight to break out between her and his new friend. Ken's face remained neutral, which was probably best since he didn't really know how to feel either. Tai was looked over at them out of the corner of his eye up ahead with Matt, but didn't look as if he was going to intervene this time around. …Or at least not yet. Others in the group were watching the exchange with wary expressions as well.

"Yes?" Koichi replied, smiling politely and disengaging from his conversation with Ken and Davis.

"Ah-," she blinked, not expecting the polite smile after what she had said to the boy last night. She certainly didn't deserve it. "I-I… I'm sorry. I said some rather rash things last night that I shouldn't have said. I made a bigger deal out of it than it really was."

"That's alright," Koichi said, his smile widening. "I'm not really surprised either. You're not the first to react this way."

Kari's face fell.

"Really?"

Koichi shook his head with a weary edge to his smile now.

"I get it a lot. Though I have to say you're probably the first one to hit me for it," he said, laughing to lighten the mood.

"But it's not you're fault," Kari muttered. "We can't help what crest or spirit chooses us. Last night I certainly didn't deserve the Crest of Light."

Koichi chuckled. "I don't think it really matters what crest or spirit we have. It's how we use them that makes us who we are."

Kari nodded, now feeling horrible for the way she had treated Koichi. She didn't know why she had lashed out that night. It had just… happened. She usually didn't judge a person until after she had gotten to know them. Ken had been an exception to that rule. She had known him as the Digimon Emperor before she had gotten to know the real Ken, so in a way she had already judged him. But Koichi was someone she had never met before. She'd felt sorry for him in the cave, but last night she didn't know what had gotten into her. She'd gone so far overboard that Tai, her own brother, had hit her in order to knock some sense into her. It seemed to have worked. The next morning she had felt terrible for what she had said and done.

"I'm sorry," she repeated.

Koichi just smiled and held out his hand in reply. Kari shook it gratefully. She then caught Tai's eye. He winked at her, smiled, and returned his attention to the path ahead of them. Koji let out a quiet sigh of relief and relaxed his posture. Koichi had noticed of course and chuckled a little at him, making his face feel hot. In order to avoid further embarrassment, he moved forward to catch up with Tai and the other older DigiDestined. It was time he found out what was going to happen once they got to the city.

* * *

What is Tai's plan? Will Koji go along with it? (probably.) What of Takuya? Will he be able to overcome Aiyokumon's control? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

* * *

I couldn't allow myself to make Kari out as the bad guy for long, so I felt that this had to be resolved. I mean she is light after all. it didn't feel right. So Koichi has won over Kari, but TK and Cody will prove to be much harder nuts to crack. I also added in a Zoe and JP scene for those Izupei fans out there. I'm thinking of writing a scene in a Tamer's POV next time. What do you guys think? Let me know if you have a specific character you'd like to see the POV of. Obviously Takuya and Koji are going to continue as main POV's in the story (just because they're my favs to write for), but I'd like to know what you guys are thinking. I mean this is a fan fic for pete's sake! Lets hear what the fans have to say! This story is in for the long haul so feel free to let me know which character I should use to hold the next POV in. I hope you enjoy reading my work and please review!

Ok, this revised chapter this didn't see too much work (again) either aside from the added sentence or two. Although in the end i just ended up taking out all of the back and forth Location titles for when the perspective switched between Takuya's and Aiyokumon's. They were pointless since it was in the same location the whole time and the line breaks serve the purpose of breaking off POV coverage and time shifts.

For those of you wondering, when writing this chapter i hadn't known about the Digimon Demon Lords, so... yeah. I decided to make up my own seven-deadly-sin-themed villains for the story. XD


	9. Sekizou City

Alrighty then! Here is chapter 9! Sorry for the wait in comparison to my previous posted chapters. I appreciate all of the reviews that i have received so far! I get excited when I see the new reviews and the messages in my inbox. Origato gozaimasu! ^_^ A few of you asked me if I had heard of the Digimon Demon lords or some such thing. I have heard of them mentioned in other fan fics, but know nothing about them other than they also represent one of the 7 deadly sins like my OC Zaigou Digimon, so I ask that you who do know of them to forgive my ignorance.

Most of this chapter is in no one's particular POV. The middle part of it dose switch between Takato and Rika however. Just a little fun fact: the beginning conversation in this chapter was inspired from when i was chatting with some of my friends about what cartoons we used to watch in comparison to today's shows. I found it funny so I just had to work it into the story. Enjoy!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, AND FRONTIER OR THEIR CHARACTERS!

* * *

**Chapter 9: Sekizou City**

**The Digital World: Location: Outside the Great City**

The large group of DigiDestined looked down at the city that Izzi's laptop had located in a valley nestled in the mountainside. It was amazing. Everything appeared to be made out of some sort of stone; the buildings, the roads, the bridges, even their modes of transportation seemed to be made of stone.

"Wow," Tai sighed. "Looks like something out of the Flintstones."

"Only with Digimon," Matt agreed with a chuckle.

"Well in spite of it's primitive appearance the city is actually quite advanced," Izzi noted, looking at the readings that he was getting from Guardromon's sensors.

"Wow Izzi," Matt playfully scoffed. "Way to ruin the moment."

"Yeah," Tai sighed. "I was reliving childhood memories over here… Flintstones! Meet the Flintstones. They're the modern Stone Age family~!"

Matt also picked up the familiar children's jingle.

"From the town of Bedrock, they're a page right out of history~!"

The two best friends cracked up, unable to continue.

"Real mature you two," Izzi stated, clicking away at his laptop.

"Aww common Izzi!" Mimi grinned, coming forward from her position behind them. "Didn't you ever watch the Flintstones?"

"Not really," Izzi shrugged. "I was more into The Jetsons."

"Me too," Kenta nodded.

"Figures," Tai snickered.

"What about you, Joe?" Mimi asked.

"Neither. My parents didn't approve of watching too much TV," the older boy stated with a sigh.

"Lame!" Rika laughed in unison with Matt and Sora.

"Well what about you Sora?" Tai asked.

"I was more into Bugs Bunny and Tom and Jerry," she grinned.

"Yeah!" Mimi gushed. "The Looney Toons were the best."

"Definitely," Michael and Willace nodded, a little surprised their Japanese friends even knew what these American cartoons were.

"I wove (love) Bugs Bunny," little Suzie squealed happily, hugging Lopmon.

"I liked those too," Kari laughed. "Very little dubbing required."

TK, Davis, Ken, and Henry nodded.

"Those were really good," Koichi agreed. "They were the only cartoons that came in on my mom's old TV. They weren't dubbed or anything, but they had subtitles."

"I was into Pokémon," Cody muttered.

"That show's gone nuts!" Joe sighed. "I couldn't keep track of them anymore halfway through the season with Haruka (May) and Masato (Max), so I gave up."

"I agree," Takato laughed. "That's why I stopped watching ages ago."

"I thought you didn't watch TV Joe," Sora grinned.

"I didn't," Joe shrugged. "I collected the cards."

"I collected the cards too." JP nodded.

"Me to!" Davis and Tai whooped.

Matt spotted Koji, the only one not participating in the conversation, standing off to his left looking down at the city. The boy had been out of it all morning.

"Hey Koji!" Matt called out to him.

The boy turned, cocking one eyebrow in a silent question. Matt almost laughed. He remembered when he was Koji's age, trying to be the cool one.

"Did you watch the Flintstones or do they not have that show in your world?"

Koji rolled his eyes then shrugged.

"We have it," he said. "I just didn't watch that many cartoons growing up."

"So you're a stick in the mud like Joe," Mimi stated serenely.

"Hey!" Joe frowned.

"Just kidding Joe," Mimi laughed. "Gosh, don't take things so literally."

"Well I watched Power Rangers!" Tommy stated, wanting to join in on the conversation as well.

"Me too," Zoe squealed. "I always wanted to be the pink one."

"I wanted to be pink too!" Ai said raising her hand.

"Figures," JP laughed.

"And just what is that supposed to mean JP?" Zoe fumed.

"Nothing," he smiled sheepishly. "Any girl who watched that show wanted to be the pink one."

"Not true," Sora shook her head. "I wanted to be the yellow one."

"Me too," Rika nodded, elbowing Ryo and Kazu in the side when they laughed at her.

"That's because yellow suits you two better," Mimi stated matter-of-factly.

Jeri simply smiled, deciding not to point out that fashion sense had nothing to do with choosing which Power Ranger a person liked more. Koji smiled slightly as well.

"Well I wanted to be Red!" Mako stated proudly.

"I bet you would have made a great Red Ranger," Tai grinned, tousling the boy's hair.

The boy beamed at the complement, already idolizing the older boy.

The Digimon had been watching their humans talk animatedly about things beyond their comprehension for a while now. Finally it was Tentomon who decided to get them back on track.

"While it is wonderful watching all of you getting along after last night's argument, might we start proceeding towards the city?" he buzzed.

"My thoughts exactly," Izzi nodded, turning to Tai.

"Alright everyone!" Tai called out to stop all the chatter. "Lets get a move on!"

Soon after, they all walked down into the valley towards the city and by the time they had finally arrived it was well into the afternoon. The city was even more incredible up close. The buildings were indeed built of stones and minerals, but they were rigged with well-camouflaged cables that supplied power to neon and florescent lights giving the city a high-tech edge that was invisible from a distance.

"Prodigious!" Izzi exclaimed. "This is amazing! I've never seen anything like this. I wonder how they get the cables to meld so well into the stone and where the city's power source is…"

"Ok, Izzi," Tai sighed. "We get it. It's impressive, but we're here on business. We came here for supplies and possible leads to help us find Takuya."

"Right," the computer wiz nodded, focusing again. He found a computer terminal inside a nearby phone booth and accessed a map of the city.

"Whoa," he exclaimed. "This city is huge. What we're seeing up here above ground is nothing! There are numerous underground levels that are even larger then what we can see up here."

"But of course!" a voice chirped.

They all jumped, turning to see who had spoken. It was a Floramon – a plant Digimon with lily hands and facemask. She was looking inquisitively at the DigiDestined, her slim and delicate arms full of what looked like bags of groceries.

"You're new here?" she inquired.

"Yes," Zoe smiled, taking charge. She had become good friends with a group of Floramon in her DigiDestined team's Digital world.

"In that case welcome!" the flower Digimon beamed. "Welcome to the great earth city of Sekizou!"

"Thank you," they all replied.

"What brings you here to our marvelous city?" Floramon asked.

"We need supplies," Zoe answered. "We're going to be doing a lot of traveling."

"Ah," the flower Digimon nodded. "In that case why don't you come with me? My boss owns a store. I'm sure he can get you what you need."

"Thanks so much!" Zoe cried. "We'd really appreciate that."

And so they followed the flower Digimon deep into the heart of the earthen city below ground. This part of the city was even more impressive then the one above. It's lighting was supplied by luminescent flowers and florescent rocks with a small touch of the more familiar electrical circuitry that lit up neon lights. The buildings were more advanced, cleaner, and more streamline than those in the city above. They entered a large storefront made of granite with glowing green flower and stone lighting. The Floramon brought them to the back of the store and introduced them to her boss Digitamamon – an egg shaped Digimon.

"And who are they?" he asked in an irritated tone.

Tai suddenly became apprehensive. His group hadn't exactly had good experiences with this particular type of Digimon. Especially Joe and Gomamon, who had been slaving away for a Digitamamon to pay off a meal when they couldn't pay for the bill. Matt wasn't feeling too good about the egg Digimon either.

"New comers to our fair city, boss," Floramon trilled. "They require supplies for traveling."

"Traveling supplies eh?" the Digimon repeated, eyeing them. "Well they're certainly in the right store. Who's in charge of you lot?"

No one argued when Tai stepped forward. Digitamamon was rather intimidating.

"Do you have any money to pay for these supplies that you need?" the egg Digimon asked suspiciously.

"No," Tai admitted shaking his head.

"Then are you prepared to work for them?" Digitamamon demanded.

Tai glanced over his shoulder, getting many nods in return.

"Yes."

"I can't believe this!" Rika was complaining as she grabbed the mop Takato offered her.

Takato sighed.

Why Rika? Of all the DigiDestined he could have gotten stuck with he ended up with Rika. Digitamamon had taken all of the DigiDestined and split them up into groups to perform certain tasks in his store. Tai, Izzi, Joe, Matt and Henry had been assigned to helping out the delivery service; Davis, Ken, Koji, and Koichi were in charge of taking inventory in the back; Yolei, Kenta, Kazu, Ryo and JP had to organize and restock the store's shelves; TK, Tommy, Cody, Michael and Willace were in charge of cleaning and arranging the displays; and Sora, Mimi, Kari, Jeri, Zoe, Suzie, Ai and Mako were outside handing out fliers for the store and trying to attract customers. All of the Digimon were sent to the back warehouse to work with the incoming and outgoing shipments the store fronted. Meanwhile, Takato was stuck cleaning the bathrooms with Rika.

'_Just my luck_,' Takato thought. '_She's in a bad mood again too_.'

"It's disgusting!" Rika exclaimed again.

"Someone's gotta do it Rika," Takato pointed out. "Besides, we get a free lunch later and the restrooms here are relatively small compared to some of the larger public –"

"I don't care Takato!" she shrieked. "I'm just saying why should I have to do this? Why couldn't one of the other boys do it?"

"Because we need a girl to clean the girl's room," Takato grumbled.

"Well then why not one of the other girls?" Rika complained.

"Look, just think of this as a rebellion towards your mother if you want," Takato suggested. "Wouldn't she freak if she heard that you cleaned a public toilet?"

Rika shivered, but smiled grimly.

"That would certainly flip her lid, but that doesn't make me want to do it any more than I did before."

She didn't want to openly admit that she was getting along with her mother a lot better these days since the Tamers had defeated the D-Reaper. They still clashed in most respects but they were giving each other an honest effort to get along and understand each other better.

"No one _wants_ to do this job Rika," he pointed out, interrupting her thoughts, "but someone has to. Now stop you're complaining and lets just get this over with."

"Don't order me around goggle head!" she snapped at his back as he disappeared through the men's restroom door.

Takato plopped the water bucket on the floor and got to work.

'_Quiet at last_,' he thought as he set mop to floor.

The restroom had three stalls, three urinals and four sinks, cracked tile floors, plain walls and what looked like a newly plastered mud ceiling. Of course it reeked, but no more than any other men's room. Takato was used to having to do this sort of work while his parents ran their bakery. He worked diligently, but quickly. There were three floors to this store and each one had a bathroom that needed cleaning. Once he was done cleaning the first men's room it smelled of pine disinfectant.

Rika was having a harder time. She'd never had to clean a bathroom before. Because her mother was a highly paid model, this was usually the hired help's job. The mop felt awkward and clumsy in her hands.

'_Great, just great!_' she thought, mopping in swiveling swirls like she'd seen someone do on TV. '_Of course I had to be the one stuck with this stupid job. I don't even know if I'm doing it right._'

She grew even more apprehensive when it came time to wipe down the toilet bowls. Rika groaned. She could just see that egg-headed Digimon come inspect her work and telling her to do it over again. That thought made her do the floors over again just in case and wipe every surface down like she was OCD. When she finished and went up to the second floor, Takato was coming out of the men's room for that floor, already done.

"How are you fairing?" he smiled, trying to be friendly.

"Humph," Rika huffed; storming into the girl's room, but then regretted not asking his advice for holding the mop. She knew she let her pride get in her way, but she just couldn't swallow it and ask for help. How could she tell him that she'd never cleaned a bathroom before? It was a common enough chore for a child to have at her age in a family household, but she didn't have a normal family. Her dad had left when she was little and her mother was a model and single mom. Sometimes she envied Takato and Henry's normal family lives.

It took her an hour to clean the second and third floor bathrooms. As far as she was concerned, she'd strangle the next person to suggest that she clean a bathroom. She was tired and smelled of disinfectant so she was in no mood for Takato's cheerful act when she ran into him outside the storage room to put away the cleaning supplies.

"Hey Rika," he grinned. "I see you survived."

"Shut up goggle head," she glowered, shoving past him and plunking her cleaning supplies onto their respective shelves.

She was irritated to come back and find him still there.

"What?" she snapped.

Takato was taken aback. He hadn't expected Rika to still be in such a bad mood.

"Uh… here," he stuttered, holding out the lunch he had gotten for Rika while she had finished cleaning the third floor girl's room.

Rika froze. She hadn't meant to snap at him. Now she felt really bad, especially since he went to the trouble of getting her lunch.

"Thanks," she muttered, snatching the bag from his grasp.

"No problem," he smiled shakily, following her to the store's employee lounge.

Tai, Izzi, Joe, Matt and Henry were already there, eating their lunches.

"Hey guys!" Henry smiled when he noticed them enter.

Rika ignored the greeting and sat herself in a chair at a table situated on the far side of the room. Takato eyed her warily.

"What's with her?" Matt asked Takato as he took his seat with the others.

"She had a hard time," Takato muttered.

"Ah," Henry smiled knowingly. "You guys had to clean the bathrooms right?"

"Yeah," Takato grimaced. "Its not so bad, but I bet Rika has never-"

"Don't talk about me as if I'm not here," Rika barked. "I have ears you know."

Takato and Henry shrank in their seats while Tai and Matt just grinned at each other. Izzi and Joe remained neutral, ignoring the potential fight and continued to eat their lunch. Rika also returned to her lunch, not feeling up to fighting with her friends at the moment. The others began to trickle in as their tasks were finished until everyone was gathered and fed. After an hour of waiting, Digitamamon entered with Floramon and three Gatsumon.

"You lot don't do that bad of a job," he praised, then addressed Tai. "As promised I have those supplies you wanted."

One Gatsumon stepped forward with a bag.

"In there you'll find the medical supplies your friend requested. They were hard to come by, but I got them for you," he said, handing it to Tai, who handed it to Joe who promptly sifted through it's contents, nodding with satisfaction when he found everything in order.

The other two Gatsumon dragged forward a cart full of backpacks.

"These are the travel packs. They're the best ones we have in stock. They come with a bedroll, canteen, and rainwear including tarps. We've already rationed out the food in the individual packs. There should be enough for a week's worth of traveling if you ration it correctly. You're Digimon partners will have to forage for themselves though."

Tai gaped at Digitamamon.

"But that's way too much!" he exclaimed.

The Digimon glared at him.

"It is not! You all did good work that would have taken my hired help a week to do. Besides, I know who you all are. Do you take me for an idiot? You're the foretold chosen children who will save us from the evils that plague our land. Lord Byakkomon told me that you would come requesting my help and that I was to give it to you."

"You mean you would have given us what we wanted even if we had refused the work? We worked for nothing?" Rika growled in the background, but luckily Digitamamon didn't hear her, or if he did he was choosing to ignore the comment.

"Who is Lord Byakkomon?" Tai asked.

"The ruler of these mountains and creator of this great city," Digitamamon said in a voice nearing awe. "It is said that he is the mortal form of Baihumon himself!"

"Baihumon?" Tai repeated.

"Oh!" Ryo gasped. "He was one of the Digimon Sovereign!"

Digitamamon nodded. "In this world, Baihumon is the youngest of the four Celestial Digimon. His is the godly Digimon we honor after the leaves have begun to turn their shade."

"You mean the start of the autumn season?" Yolei inquired.

"Precisely," Digitamamon bobbed.

"This sounds just like the guardian gods depicted in Kyoto," Yolei exclaimed. "I met Joe's brother Jim during a school trip to Kyoto and he told me about the four Chinese constellations of the guardians and the four Kyoto gates that they represent. The Black Tortoise, Genbu, guards the North and represents the element of water and the winter season. The Vermillion Bird, Suzaku, guards the South and represents the fire element and summer season. The Azure Dragon, Seiryuu, guards the East and represents the wood element and spring season. And finally there's the White Tiger of the West, Byakko, who represents the element of metal and the autumn season."

"Wow Yolei," Sora cried. "I can't believe you remember all of that."

"I have a good memory," Yolei grinned.

"Well anyways, Lord Byakkomon just happens to have the same name as our constellation for the West. Does that mean we're in the far west portion of this country or world or whatever you call it?" Tai asked, turning back to Digitamamon.

"Indeed," the egg bobbed again. "On the other side of this city's mountain is the ocean. That is as far west as you can go… unless you're a fish."

"You wouldn't happen to have a map, would you?" Izzi asked.

One of the Gatsumon pulled a map from one of the backpacks and handed it to him. Digitamamon made his way over to the table to help them get their bearings. The map itself was a practical one, with landmarks and main roads well displayed on the continent that was shaped ironically like Tai's digivice model.

"See the green square by the mountains?" Digitamamon asked, "That is the city we're in, Sekizou. On the far, east side, deep in the forest on top of the eastern mountain range, that yellow star represents the city of Shinrin. Up north near the top center of the map, that blue triangle is Himizu City. And finally the red oval in the south is the desert city, Netsusa. These are the four cities with a ruler that is believed to represent one of the celestial Digimon."

"What about this circle in the center?" Izzi asked, pointing to the grey center of the map.

Digitamamon shivered in his shell.

"That is where _he_ resides."

"Who?" Tai asked.

"The evil lord that has taken over this land… no one has seen him, but we have all heard his voice. He is death itself, they say. Just hearing his voice is enough to set my shell on edge. We have heard from our neighboring villages and the mines that he has overtaken the entire mountain range in the center of our continent. They call him the Seifukushya… the conqueror. He likes that title so much that he has even begun to call himself that. He is Kushyamon."

He shivered again. "He's bad news alright. No one dares to challenge him. Not with the Seven Zaigou doing his bidding and running amuck."

"The Seven Zaigou?" Takato, Davis and Tai repeated in unison.

"The Seven Zaigou," Digitamamon breathed. "One for every deadly sin. The one keeping this city in line is Aiyokumon. Now she's a piece of work, but better her than some of the other Zaigou. She has no interest in our humble ways of living beneath the mountain and leaves us relatively alone. But she has taken over the mountain and the volcano south of here."

"What is Lord Byakkomon doing about this?" Tai asked, confused. "If he's the ruler of these mountains and this city why hasn't he done anything to prevent this?"

"He's done plenty," Digitamamon glared. "He's not all powerful you know. It is he who has guaranteed our relatively peaceful lives under Aiyokumon's reign. He frightens her lesser minions and followers so no one other than the lady herself ever really bothers us. It's because of him that we can sleep at night and live as normally as possible in comparison to the other cities that are invaded by the Zaigou. It's that damn Crusademon makes a right mess of us."

Koji stiffened at the offending name.

"Crusademon we've met," Tai said grimly, noticing Koji's stiffened posture. "What can you tell us about him?"

Digitamamon's eyes narrowed into slits.

"He isn't as powerful as the Zaigou, but he's bad enough. He's usually seen leaving the mountain alone and only coming back whenever he's got something for Aiyokumon. Why just yesterday I heard he had come back with that Arukenimon woman, who works for another of the Zaigou, if not for Kushyamon himself. It stirred up trouble above ground apparently. They say the two brought back another unfortunate creature to Aiyokumon. Another poor devil."

"Why?" Tai asked. "What does she do to these Crusademon brings her?"

The sad look Digitamamon gave him made everyone's stomach churn.

"She–"

"Kyaa!" came a scream from Floramon.

Everyone's attention was now on the flower Digimon as she gasped in horror, looking outside the room.

"I-i-it's her!" she shrieked.

Digitamamon rushed to the door and found that Floramon was only partially right. Outside, through the shop's front windows, a large flat screen was filled with the lovely Zaigou Digimon's visage.

"Oh DigiDestined~!" her silky voice chimed into the store through unseen speakers. "I know you're down there somewhere. I am personally inviting you to my humble abode. I have a friend of yours visiting with me and he is just _dying_ to see you again. Hurry now! It's not nice to keep your friend and a lady waiting!"

* * *

Will they go meet Aiyokumon? What will happen to them if they go? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters.

* * *

So what'd you think? Not my best, I know, but not every chapter can have action in it. I'll try to keep up adding in some POV's from the Tamers. Sometimes I forget to represent them with the other two season casts. I don't deny that season 3 is my least favorite of the 4 (I refuse to recognize the savers season) and that is why they have played such a small role so far. I also tend to forget about Michael and Willace. :P I promise to do better! :D Please review and let me know what you think!

OK, so apparently the first time I wrote this chapter before these revisions I had to reinsert this chapter because I'd forgotten to add Kari's name in to the list of where each DigiDestined was working in the shop. Whoops. :P

Again nothing major was changed in this chapter although now that I've revised it and looked through it again I realized that even though these three teams supposedly come from 4 different worlds they all ended up growing up with the same cartoons, meaning that they all come from very similar worlds who only differentiate in their Digital World (no real surprise there though since all 4 seasons obviously take place on earth in modern day Japan). I so wanted Izzi to comment on this fact but I just couldn't find a way to fit it into the conversation. bummer.


	10. A Friend Worth Fighting For

Here's chapter 10! Yay, this one came out faster than I'd originally thought. Don't get used to these quick updates though. i sense a case of writer's block coming on. oh no! :P

This chapter is in Henry's POV for the first 1/3, then Takato takes over in a flashback. Just a special note, The DigiDestined groups refer to each other by a group name - the Tamers, Warriors, and Adventurers. I'm not sure I made that clear in previous chapters. Tai's and Davis's groups are known as the Adventurers because they have had more adventures in their Digital World than any of the other groups. I hope the flashback isn't too confusing and that you enjoy it.

DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.

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**Chapter 10: A Friend Worth Fighting For**

**The Digital World: Location: Digitamamon's Store**

It had been an hour since they had heard Aiyokumon's request, but there were mixed feelings about what to do. The Warriors, of course, wanted to go immediately. The Adventurers agreed with the Warriors, reasoning that they would have to face her eventually, but wanted to hold back for a little while so that they could have a plan ready before going. The Tamers were even less gun-ho, wanting to hold off on any confrontation for as long as possible, but agreed that they'd have to face Aiyokumon eventually.

Henry couldn't help but glance in Koji's direction. He felt that the boy was a little unstable when it came to this Takuya person. If Koji's actions were not kept in check, he was likely to act rashly and put them all in jeopardy. With Suzie to look after, as well as Ai and Mako, Henry was not willing to let that happen. At the moment, the boy was arguing with Tai about what to do next.

"What is there to plan?" Koji growled.

Tai was surprisingly calm, considering the situation.

"We don't know what we're up against," was his reasonable reply.

"Yes we do!" Koji retorted. "She's the Zaigou of Lust, one of the seven tyrants helping Kushyamon take over this world. She has control over the Western Mountains, has Crusademon to order around as her lackey, and is known to be incredibly strong."

"We don't know how to take her on," Tai pointed out. "We don't know what she's capable of."

"Have any of us known the enemy before taking them on in battle?" Koji pointed out rather reasonably, considering his temper. "I'd love to hear a case where one of us has gone against someone for the first time with more information than we have right now. Has anyone here ever faced an opponent fully knowledgeable of their abilities?"

"He does have a point Tai," Izzi admitted lightly.

Koji looked triumphant, his friends determined, and Tai looked partially convinced, but the doubt was still there.

"All he means is that we should be cautious," Henry interjected, feeling like he had to say something. "No one's saying we shouldn't go Koji, but think about the possible consequences. If we go in there rashly someone is bound to get hurt. This doesn't solely involve you Warrior DigiDestined. All of us are involved weather we like it or not. We range from the ages of eighteen to four! We have responsibilities to help the younger DigiDestined as well as ourselves. Sorry that we Tamers have to have the younger ones, but we do, and I for one won't let you, or anyone else for that matter, have us all rush in there unprepared without some sort of defensive strategy."

Koji and Henry held each other's gaze for a while.

"Then what do _you_ have in mind?" Koji finally asked coolly. "What sort of 'defense' can we give ourselves before marching in there?"

"We can dig," was Henry's simple reply. "We find out as much as we can about her. Then we can use that knowledge to our advantage and prepare ourselves for the worst."

Koji frowned. Hadn't Henry been listening?

Henry held up a hand to stop the oncoming tirade.

"It doesn't hurt to be prepared," he said. "The more we know about her, the better chance we have against her."

Izzi nodded.

"Knowledge is power," he quoted. "With Guardromon's help, I may be able to provide us with the layout of the mountain passages and chambers. That way we can be knowledgeable of the surroundings and have ways out if we should need to make a quick escape."

"See?" Henry said pointedly. "Even a little information can mean the difference between making it out in one piece or in pieces."

Koji nodded stiffly, acknowledging the reasonable point.

Tai looked relieved.

While Izzi had Ken, Kazu, Kenta and Guardromon help him set to work on trying to figure out which were the best scans to run for getting the mountain's readouts, everyone else went through their newly acquired packs and tried to mentally prepare themselves for what they might face when they met Aiyokumon. Koji and his friends were huddled together chatting with Davis, Matt and Tai about possible battle strategies. Henry was sitting with Rika, Ryo and Takato nearby.

"Isn't he a mess?" Ryo murmured, watching Koji's tense form. "The guy can't wait to get out of here and save his friend."

Rika shook her head.

"He feels guilty. Isn't it obvious? He was the one standing closest to Takuya when he got snatched. The guy's got some sort of hero complex. He doesn't give up until whoever he's saving is safe. If he weren't like that though, that TK kid wouldn't be here. Remind you of anyone?"

"Who?" Takato asked.

"Henry, you idiot!" Rika sighed.

"What?" Henry growled. He hadn't been paying attention to the conversation and didn't appreciate being called an idiot.

"No, not you, Takato" Rika snapped. "And I was saying that you and Koji are similar, Henry."

"No we're not," Henry frowned, disliking the idea. "He's impulsive, rash, and doesn't consider what could happen to others who are involved."

"In other words, just like you minus the last one," Ryo chuckled. "You tend to worry _too_ much. Admit it."

Henry fumed silently.

"Look," Takato said, trying to sooth his best friend. "Are you saying you wouldn't act the way Koji is right now if it were me instead of Takuya?"

Henry shook his head. "I wouldn't think twice about going to save you Takato and there is no way I'd give up on rescuing you, but I have Suzie to think of. Koji's got a brother. Shouldn't he consider what could happen to Koichi if he makes a mistake?"

"I'm sure he does," Takato said gently, "But his brother is a lot more capable of handling himself than Suzie is."

"Exactly!" Rika nodded.

Henry huffed, frustrated.

"But that doesn't mean he shouldn't be thinking about the others."

"He hasn't exactly had to look out for little ones before now," Ryo pointed out.

"What about Tommy?" Henry retorted.

"The kid is young yes, but still more capable than Ai, Mako or Suzie," Rika sighed.

"What, are you all on his side?" Henry snarled.

"No," Takato smiled, shaking his head sadly. "But we can sympathize. Remember what it was like before Suzie became a Tamer? It was a lot – ok, maybe not a lot – but it was simpler than it is now. We didn't have to worry about little kids getting hurt. We just worried about our Digimon and ourselves. We aren't nearly as helpless as the little kids are without our Digimon."

Rika and Ryo nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure Koji finds Takuya a friend worth fighting for," Ryo commented.

"He sure as hell better be if we're risking our lives this early in the game for him," Rika growled.

Henry couldn't agree more.

"He is," Takato nodded. "I'm sure Tai thinks so as well."

"Why makes you say that?" Henry asked.

"Because we got to know him pretty well," Takato explained.

"That's right," Ryo nodded, remembering. "You and Tai were with him before meeting up with the rest of us. You three were the last ones to join the party."

"Some party," Rika grumbled.

"Yeah," Takato sighed. "I wouldn't be here right now if it wasn't for Takuya."

Henry looked up at his best friend. Takato seemed to admire Takuya. What sort of person could he be and what had he done to make Takato think he wouldn't be here without him? Others had been listening to their conversation for a while now, especially Tai and Koji. Now all of the DigiDestined were listened intently as Takato revealed what had happened to him when he, Tai and Takuya first arrived in this Digital world. Some even moved closer to hear better.

Noticing the size of his audience, Takato spoke up and began to tell his story that went back roughly three days…

* * *

**Flashback – Location: A Tunnel in the Labyrinth Caves**

Takato had woken up feeling sore. He tried to remember what had happened after the portal to the Digital World had lit up. He remembered how he'd thought he'd heard Guilmon's voice calling his name and that he had run toward it and into the light. He knew that the others must have followed him, because he had heard them all scream when the ground suddenly gave way beneath his feet.

"You awake now Takato?" he heard Guilmon's voice ask him.

Guilmon!

Takato bolted up into a sitting position a little too fast, his head aching.

"Yay! Takato is up! Is it breakfast time yet?" the red dinosaur Digimon asked happily.

Takato had to laugh. Only his Digimon partner would ask him about breakfast first instead of his well being first.

"No, Guilmon," he chuckled. "But I do have something for you."

"Really?" Guilmon asked, sniffing his bag. "I smell bread!"

Takato laughed again, pulling out the Guilmon bread his parents had made in the likeliness of his Digimon friend's head.

"Here you are," he smiled, watching his partner chow down. "Say Guilmon, do you know where we are?"

His Digimon shook his head.

"No," he said through a mouthful of bread. "I was just sleeping when Terriermon woke me up. The core was all lit up and I got hit by one of its beams. I ended up here alone and then you fell out of the sky. You slept for so long I was getting worried. Then you woke up and now I'm eating bread."

After Guilmon was finished eating, the two of them set off down the tunnel to try to find the others. They didn't have much luck. Then their tunnel abruptly ended and Takato found himself balancing precariously at the edge of a cliff. Guilmon tried to help his Tamer, but he only made matters worse by accidentally knocking Takato over the edge with his tail. Takato felt his heart jump into his mouth as he plummeted downward. But just as sudden as the fall had begun, his descent was halted when his arm was caught in someone's grasp. For a moment Takato thought that Guilmon had managed to save him, but the hand was human, not his Digimon's clawed one.

Takato looked up at his rescuer finding him to be a strange boy with square goggles over a hat turned backwards. To distract himself from the fall, Takato kept his eyes locked on the boy. He looked to be around his age, perhaps a year older. He was lying on his stomach, hanging from a wide ledge, his face contorted in a strained but focused expression as he clung onto Takato's hand.

They could now hear Guilmon scrambling down the cliff side muttering, "I'm coming Takato," repeatedly. Meanwhile, the unknown boy was doing everything he could to maintain his hold on Takato's hand, but his grip was starting to slip.

"Hang on," the boy grunted. "Try grabbing on with your other hand."

Takato did as he was told so that he held onto the boy's hand with both of his. Guilmon finally reached the boy's ledge and grabbed the unknown boy around the middle, lifting both boys easily. They lay gasping on the ledge, their backs against the stone wall.

"Thanks," Takato breathed.

"No problem," the other replied, one hand clutching his chest.

"Are you ok Takato?" Guilmon whimpered, afraid that Takato was mad at him for knocking him off the cliff's edge even if it had been an accident.

"Yeah," his Tamer replied with a tight smile. "Thanks Guilmon. You saved us."

"There wouldn't have been a Takato to save if the boy hadn't saved you first," Guilmon said miserably.

"It's no big deal, buddy," the strange boy grinned. "It was you who saved us in the end. I'm Takuya by the way."

Takuya held out his hand to Takato.

"Takato," he nodded, taking his hand. "And this is Guilmon, my Digimon partner."

He froze after his last statement, unsure if it was wise to have said that. Rika would have scolded him for saying what he had just said without thinking. Did Takuya even know what a Digimon was? Was he afraid of Guilmon? He didn't look like he was, the way he conversed with his partner. In fact, Takuya didn't seem alarmed at all to meet a talking five-foot tall dinosaur.

"Ah," the boy smiled instead. "I thought he was a Digimon. We don't see too many talking dinosaurs in our world now do we? I'd was starting to think that I'd been taken on a journey to the center of the earth until I saw him. So does that make this some part of the Digital World?"

"Not sure," Takato admitted, relieved that the boy already knew about Digimon. "I woke up in a tunnel up there. Guilmon was with me and we were looking for our friends."

Takuya nodded.

"Same here, but I woke up down there," he said, pointed to the tunnel entrance below them. They were roughly halfway up the cliff side on their nice perch. "I decided to climb up here to see if I could find anyone. I was taking a break when you fell from the cliff above. Are you a DigiDestined too?"

"Ah…" Takato paused. "Yes, but my friends and I usually call ourselves Digimon Tamers."

"I see," Takuya grinned. "Well my friends and I were called the DigiDestined by Lady Ophanimon when we first arrived in the Digital world, although I think I'm the only one who remembers that."

"Don't you have a Digimon partner then?" Takato asked.

"No," Takuya said, continuing to smile. "Not like Guilmon anyway. I have a Legendary Digimon Warrior's spirit for a partner. With it I can transform into the Legendary Warrior of Flame, Agunimon. My friends and I were mostly known around the Digital World as the Legendary Warriors reborn."

Takato didn't know weather the boy was serious or not, not with the way he kept on smiling as if he was enjoying his own personal joke.

"So what now Takato?" Guilmon asked his Tamer. "Do we go back up or do we continue going down?"

"Down," both Takato and Takuya gasped with a laugh.

Neither boy was willing to climb up the cliff at the moment when a fall could mean certain death the next time around. Being extremely careful, they made slow progress down the cliff side. Once at the bottom, Takuya took the lead down the tunnel he'd come from. It hadn't occurred to them how it was possible for them to see anything in the cave without a light source until there was virtually no light in the next adjoining tunnel. Takuya had shrugged it off, saying that the rocks must have had some special properties that produced it's own light. They used Takato's cell phone as a light in this new dark tunnel, but it's battery soon died. Takato had no idea how many times Takuya had kept him from falling on his face when he stumbled over the uneven ground in the dark, but he was grateful for the boy's company.

"Let's take a break," Takuya finally said, stopping, and helped Takato into a sitting position. They were all worn out and at the time, Takato hadn't noticed Takuya's well-controlled labored breathing in the dark. Looking back on it now it was obvious that there had been something wrong with him. Takato just hadn't seen it then.

"Some place," Takato sighed.

He couldn't see, but Takuya nodded, unable to control his voice yet.

"I wonder where the others are," Takato continued. "We've been traveling for some time. It feels like a whole day."

"Takato?" Guilmon whined. "I'm hungry. Do you have anymore bread to eat?"

Both boys chuckled. The Digimon had been asking that question for the past hour.

"Is someone there?" an unknown voice suddenly called out.

The three of them jumped and then huddled together when a light appeared at the end of a curve in the tunnel wall. Soon an older boy with an Agumon appeared, holding a flaming torch.

"Who are you guys?" he asked bewildered. They apparently weren't the ones the boy had been expecting to find.

"I'm Takuya," Takuya grinned, standing up to greet the newcomer.

Takato had to admire Takuya for welcoming the strangers so readily, taking the stranger's appearance in stride. He slowly rose to his feet as well.

"Tai," the older boy replied, taking Takuya's outstretched hand with a smile. "And this is Agumon."

"I'm Takato and this is Guilmon," Takato said shyly, shaking Tai's hand.

The two Digimon exchanged pleasantries as well.

After introductions, the small group of boys settled down for the "night." They swapped stories about their families, their friends, their respective DigiDestined groups and what they did, especially their adventures in the Digital World. It didn't take a genius like Ken or Izzi to realize that they had come from different worlds, or at least different Digital Worlds.

The next "day" they debated on what to do next. Tai had already come from a dead-end medieval chamber at the end of the tunnel, where he'd gotten the torch and many others like it, so it was decided that they backtrack down the tunnel and climb up that cliff. Takato and Takuya weren't looking forward to it, but when Tai showed them the other supplies he'd salvaged from the medieval chamber they felt a little better about it. Tai had grabbed ropes, spare torches, a lantern with an extra oil sack, and a couple of crude swords.

Tai offered one of the swords to Takuya, but the boy waved it aside, saying that Takato should have it. Takato knew how to use one after his experiences biomerged with Guilmon as Gallantmon, but he wasn't sure if it was wise for Takuya to do so. Takato had Guilmon to protect him and Tai had Agumon, but Takuya had no Digimon partner. How could he protect himself? Tai looked like he was worried about the same thing, but didn't push the sword on him and gave it to Takato as Takuya suggested. Neither Tai nor Takato could believe that Takuya had a Digimon Warrior's spirit as his partner even after all he had told them about his adventures. It seemed too amazing, even for the Digital World.

When they reached the cliff side again, Tai pulled out a long coil of rope and tied the three of them together, knowing that Agumon and Guilmon, in spite of their appearance, were actually quite nimble and could scale the wall a lot better then they could. Agumon took the lead followed by Tai, Takuya and Takato, with Guilmon bringing up the rear in case anyone fell again. It was a long climb and they took frequent breaks at Takuya's suggestion. He reasoned that it was best to keep themselves refreshed in case any enemy decided to attack while they were exhausted from the climb. Neither Digimon nor their partners found anything wrong with this idea at the time and hadn't thought that Takuya had ulterior motives for the frequent rest breaks. It proved to be a wise decision though when they were attacked two-thirds of the way up the cliff by a Snimon, a praying mantis Digimon with blades for hands.

"Uh oh!" Agumon cried from his perch above them. "What now Tai?"

"Digivolve!" Tai cried out automatically, pulling out his Digivice.

In a panic Takato did the same, but (thankfully) neither Digimon digivolved. They only realized that it was a blessing in disguise later when they remembered that neither of their Digimon would have been any use up on those cliffs if they _had_ digivolved due to their larger forms. Growlmon and Greymon would have brought the whole cliff down and killed them all saving Snimon the trouble.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Takato cried, ducking as Snimon made a pass at him, causing him to drop his sword and almost dislodge him from the wall. Only the rope that was tied around his waist kept him from falling with the blade. Guilmon and Agumon spat fireballs at Snimon, but as a Champion level Digimon the lower Rookie leveled attacks just weren't cutting it. Takuya grabbed Takato's hand and pulled him up to where he and Tai were. Then he seized Tai's blade and cut himself free of the rope tied around his waist, but in a way that kept Takato and Tai still tethered to each other.

"What are you doing?" Tai demanded. "Are you crazy?"

"Well someone's gotta save our skins," Takuya grinned, handing back the short sword and pulled out his D-Tector. He edged away from them a good five feet before calling out, "Execute! Spirit Evolution!"

This was the first time Tai and Takato had seen this sort of DigiVolution, so they hadn't been as surprised as the others when Takuya evolved again with JP and Tommy to create a way out of the maze of cave tunnels many hours later.

"Just keep climbing and don't stop until you reach the top!" Agunimon ordered.

Without another word, the newly evolved Takuya nimbly flitted from one cliff-side ledge to another, distracting Snimon, and allowing the others to continue their climb. It was when they had nearly reached the top that Snimon finally realized that Agunimon was the distraction. He screeched with anger and headed straight for Takato and Guilmon who were just about to crawl over the top ledge. Agunimon followed in hot pursuit, but was not in time for Snimon's next attack.

"Twin Sickles!" it cried, slashing at the handhold Takato was reaching for.

"Takato!" Guilmon yelled, trying to catch his Tamer, but his outstretched claw didn't reach him. Instead he lashed out with his tail and caught Takato by the ankle.

"Pyro Darts!" Agunimon cried, firing the projectiles at Snimon to chase him away.

Tai had Agumon hold the rope while he descended down the wall past Guilmon to Takato. He grabbed the younger boy and had Guilmon and Agumon hoist them up. Meanwhile, now that the others were relatively out of harms way, Agunimon let loose with his Pyro Tornado attack, blasting Snimon out of the sky in flames. The power of the attack brought sections of the cliff wall and some of the ceiling's stalactites crashing down. It was because he had known that this would happen when he used this attack that Takuya had been holding back. He made his way back to his companions, reverted back into his human form, and collapsed, completely exhausted and breathing rather heavily. This worried Tai and Takato, but Takuya had lied, telling them he had simply over done that last attack. Tai and Takato knew better now though. It was because Takuya had prolonged the battle in order to allow them to get to safety.

"That's the second time you've saved me. Thank you," Takato smiled, helping Takuya into a sitting position.

"No prob," Takuya panted, but was still grinning. "Let's just not try for a third time, ok?"

"Deal," Takato laughed. "Would you like to ride Guilmon for a while?"

"It would be faster wouldn't it?" Tai mused, looking down the tunnel they were to proceed through next. "We should keep moving. It's never wise to remain so close to the scene of an attack. It's bound to attract other enemies. We don't know if Snimon was alone, after all."

Takuya nodded, accepting the older boy's help into a standing position and boarded Guilmon's back.

"You alright with this Guilmon?" Takuya asked once he was aboard.

"It's no problem," the red dinosaur Digimon grinned toothily. "You're lighter than you look."

Takato noticed how Takuya's smiled dropped a few degrees, but soon it was at full volume once again.

"Glad someone thinks so," he laughed. "I'm always told I'm rather heavy for an athlete because I like to eat."

After that, Tai engaged Takuya in a conversation about soccer. Takato wasn't as athletic as the other two boys, but Takuya had made sure he was never left out of the conversation, even changing the subject if it was required. A half-hour later, Takuya was back on his own two feet. Takato had to admire how the boy never let anything really bother him and kept on moving forward. The three had really bonded over those next few hours as they continued down the never-ending tunnels until they finally entered the dark chamber where they met up with the rest of their friends as the last of the DigiDestined to join together. Takato had never forgotten the kindness and friendship Takuya had shone him in the tunnels. Takuya had saved his life twice at the cliffs. Now it was Takuya's life in danger and Takato knew that it was time to repay the favor.

**End of Flashback…**

* * *

So that's how the goggle heads met (minus Davis). Takuya seems to be quite the hero in Takato's eyes. How will this effect how they take on Aiyokumon though? Will it help or hinder their objectives? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

* * *

So what'd ya think? I kinda stumbled with this flashback, but I felt it was important to establish that the Tamers have a stake in this as well. It's not just the Adventurers and the Warriors getting along. The Tamers are there as well, and that's why I chose Takato to play host to the POV of the flashback. Did it work? I'm not too sure. Besides, some of you wanted to know what the goggle heads were doing while everyone else was gathering. Well, now you know! I just didn't know how to work it in at the time.

While revising this chapter and the one before I realized that I had more Tamers stuff in these first chapters than I thought. Maybe it doesn't seem that way because they haven't had too much action yet, but they're in here! XD

The only thing I added in this chapter was the part mentioning how it was a saving grace that Agumon and Guilmon had failed to Digivolve. Honestly think about it! I can't believe that it had slipped my mind when writing this originally. It'd be a sad way for our goggle-heads to go. XD


	11. Aiyokumon's Tea Party

Well here ya go! Chapter 11! woo hoo! It took me some time to figure out who I wanted to have the POV in and finally decided on Zoe. I hadn't done her yet and felt it was time to return to a warrior's POV as we get arrive at the first climax of the story. Next time will be Koji's POV out of necessity and the fact that it's just easy and fun for me to write him. i am still taking suggestions for other POV's so let me know if you have a character in mind. Maybe and 02 DigiDestined, or Michael or Willace. No one has suggested them yet. They are just sorta there to make numbers meet. :O

I hope you enjoy this next chapter of The Ultimate Gathering of the DigiDestined and are prepared for a lot of the dark stuff that is to come and gives this story it's T rating.

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.

* * *

**Chapter 11: ****Aiyokumon's Tea Party**

**The Digital World: Location: Digitamamon's Store**

The time had come to set out and everyone was as ready as they were ever going to be. Izzi had completed gathering a detailed layout of the mountain's tunnel network and Tai was getting one last word of thanks in to Digitamamon.

"Thank you so much," Tai said meaningfully. "We won't forget your generosity."

"If you defeat the Seven Zaigou and Kushyamon you will have done more than enough to repay me," Digitamamon said gruffly. "Oh! There is something you should know about Aiyokumon before you go. I didn't get to say it before Floramon lost her head and Aiyokumon gave her message."

Everyone was paying strict attention.

"You say you think it was your friend who was taken by Crusademon?" Digitamamon asked.

Tai nodded.

"Then you better give up on the idea of saving him right now," the egg Digimon sighed. "No one has escaped her grasp alive. She's a spell caster. A witch. She specializes in various possessions. Every lost soul that has been brought to her becomes bewitched and follows her every command. What's worse is that the person she has possessed is bound to her. Any pain or damage inflicted upon her is transferred to the possessed. If you wish to take her down you must forsake your friend. No one has ever broken through her control."

Everyone stared at Tai numbly. What were they going to do? Follow Digitamamon's advice and forget about rescuing Takuya? Or face Aiyokumon anyways and risk loosing him? There was no win-win situation.

"Well?" Digitamamon asked, wondering what their leader was thinking. "What will you do?"

Tai sighed, reaching into his pack and pulled out a pair of goggles that he'd requested. They weren't quite like the ones he used to wear and had given to Davis. They were similar in design, but more narrow and oval shaped so that they fit over his eyes better. He stared into their lenses for a moment before firmly snapping the band over a navy blue headband he was wearing, his expression determined.

"We will go," he said softly, but firmly. "We have to at least try to save him. Takuya needs our help and the longer we leave him with Aiyokumon, the smaller the chance we have of even _hoping_ to save him. It's now or never."

He stared around the room, daring them to challenge his decision, but his gaze met no opposition. There was only a grim but unanimous agreement with his statement. Even the little kids, Mako, Ai, and Suzie, looked determined to go.

"Good luck to you then," Digitamamon sighed. "Safe travels. I hope you find your friend and survive the encounter."

"Oh we'll find him," Tai said grimly. "It's his state of mind, or lack there of, that I'm worried about."

* * *

**The Digital World: Location: Aiyokumon's Chambers**

Aiyokumon was tired of waiting. It had been three hours since she had sent her message to the DigiDestined. Crusademon was there as well, standing in the corner of the room within the shadows. Takuya was sitting at Aiyokumon's feet having his hair run through by her long well manicured fingernails. His face was void of any expression as it had been since the possession. He had been there when Aiyokumon sent out her invitation to the other DigiDestined so he knew that it was only a matter of time before he was forced to do battle with his friends. But he was strangely at peace for the moment.

During his time imprisoned within his own mind, Takuya had come to realize that he might not be as helpless as he had originally thought. Aiyokumon was so focused on controlling his body that she had neglected to take his mind into full account. It may have been a grave error on her part to leave Takuya's consciousness conscious. Of course she was still drugging him with potions to prevent him from being able to gain control his own body. She also continued casting spells to maintain the binding chains that kept him trapped within his mind. So how had Takuya come to believe that he wasn't completely helpless?

It had come to him while Aiyokumon had him prancing around the room doing that idiotic dance. He had found that if he wanted to remember something, the scene would play out before him in the open space of his mind. It was as if he were watching a movie or plays based off his life. He had begun to replay and relive his mental battle with Aiyokumon over and over again several times before he found her mistakenly pondered thought.

'_The boy is strong_,' she had thought. '_Too bad for him that he has no experience fighting with his mind. If he had I might actually be in trouble._'

It was soon after that that Takuya began to experiment. If he was going to be trapped within his own mind, he might as well know how to use it to his advantage. He took the time to actually try meditating, forcing himself to relax and give in to the unwanted potion's side effects. It was in this near non-existent state that he was able to muster some sort of inner strength that the Zaigou Witch of Lust's potions hadn't been able to take from him. It wasn't much, but when he experimented with ways to use this new mental capability, he realized that he could interfere with the way his body followed Aiyokumon's instructions.

He only attempted to do little things so that there wouldn't be any suspicion of a flaw in Aiyokumon's control over him. He tried things like halting a bow just millimeters higher then what she had commanded or twirling the opposite way in her crazy dance whenever she wasn't looking. He still didn't have any long lasting control over his body, but he had enough for him to be able to divert a fatal blow against his friends when the time came. The effort he exerted in performing these small defiances were incredibly draining however. He would have to be mindful in the fight to come of when he should pull a punch and when not to. It was this that could mean the fragile difference between seriously injuring a friend and killing them.

"They come, my lady," Crusademon suddenly said, emerging from the shadows.

"Oh goody!" Aiyokumon squealed. "Where are they?"

"In the eastern tunnels," he replied.

"Wonderful!" she laughed, clapping her hands together. "Now go greet them for me. And remember, you are only to greet them. No unnecessary confrontations Crusademon. This is not your fight. You will be a gentlemon and bring them to the southern arena."

"As you wish," Crusademon bowed.

* * *

**The Digital World: Location: Aiyokumon's Eastern Tunnels**

Zoe was a bundle of nerves. What Digitamamon had told them about Aiyokumon had made her even more worried about Takuya. She had always felt concern for the goggle head, but it was much more than that. She wouldn't admit it to herself, but she had a crush on the strong-willed boy. He may have gotten on her nerves on more than one occasion, especially when they had first met, but he always thought about the well being of his companions. He had earned not only their respect as a leader, but also as a friend who they'd do anything for.

Takato's story about how he had met Takuya had only strengthened their resolve to save him and no one was going to talk them out of it. But what Zoe wanted more than anything at the moment was to see his smiling face with that goofy lopsided grin of his, laughing and saying, 'Sorry guys! My bad.'

"Are you alright Z?" JP asked softly so that only she could hear.

She started, but managed to make the movement seem intentional so that she could flip her blond hair over her shoulder.

"I'm fine," she muttered, glancing at Koji and Koichi to distract herself.

"Liar," her friend said grimly. "None of us are. We were just told to give up on saving Taki. Not exactly the thing we wanted to hear before launching this insane rescue mission."

"Are you saying we should?" she asked incredulously.

"No!" he exclaimed in a hushed panicky whisper. "There is no way he'd give up if it were one of us, so we shouldn't give up on him. I'm just saying we may have to face the fact that he may already be beyond our reach. …Beyond our saving."

Zoe stared dumbstruck at him. How could he think that? They'd know it if Takuya were really gone… wouldn't they? Surely some sixth sense that came with being a DigiDestined would tell them that he was already…

"It's Crusademon," Tommy muttered darkly from JP's side.

Sure enough the black knight Digimon was leaning casually against the archway of the joining tunnel up ahead.

"Welcome DigiDestined," he said in his monotone voice. "Lady Aiyokumon has sent me to escort you to the meeting place for your visit. Follow me."

Without another word, he walked through the archway.

"What should we do?" Zoe heard Koji ask Tai.

"We follow him," Tai shrugged. "What choice do we have? We don't know what will happen if we choose not to. He'll lead us to Aiyokumon and hopefully to Takuya."

Everyone warily followed the evil Digimon knight. Zoe vaguely wondered if it was possible that the mistress he served had possessed him too. Her mind began to wander and came up with some rather gruesome images of what might have happened to Takuya while becoming possessed, but they were also vague because she didn't know what Aiyokumon looked like since she hadn't been able to actually see the Zaigou when the message had aired. To stop her imagination from running wild she forced herself to listen in on the nearest conversation.

"I thought he was going to attack us when I first saw him," she heard Davis mutter to TK who seemed to agree.

"Well we should be on our toes," TK said grimly. "It's not like we're here for a tea party. Crusademon's only the messenger. Who knows what's in store for us up ahead?"

Zoe grudgingly agreed with the other blond.

Crusademon lead them through the winding tunnels turning in what seemed like random directions down corridors and sometimes through the odd mine. It took them about an hour to reach their destination. They all stared around at their surroundings with awe. They were deep within the mountains in a chamber that reminded them of the Roman Coliseum only underground with marble floors, columns, and seating. The wall opposite of their entrance was a lava waterfall, providing a rather dramatic backdrop to the arena.

Sitting at a small patio table was a remarkably beautiful young blond woman dressed in a flowing green gown that hugged all of her perfect curves in the right places. Some of the boys, even the younger ones, had to prevent themselves from drooling. She was perfect. The girls took an instant dislike to her, smacking their guy friends out of what were surely absurd fantasies. They knew that this had to be Aiyokumon, the Zaigou Witch of Lust.

"At last! Welcome!" the woman exclaimed exuberantly when she saw them. "I have been looking forward to your visit! Please come over and join me for tea!"

This threw the DigiDestined off. They had been prepared to fight their enemy, not have tea with her. Yet the Zaigou had Gazimon set up chairs in rows for them to sit in across the tiny patio table from her. Crusademon seemed to have disappeared at this point since his services as a guide we no longer needed.

"Sit! Please!" she smiled brightly.

"Looks like you were wrong about the tea party TK," Davis muttered.

The blond had no cryptic come back for Davis's smart ass remark because he was too busy staring at Aiyokumon's breasts as she leaned over to give an order to a Gazimon. Kari saw this and smacked him hard outside the head.

"Don't be a pig TK," she scolded.

TK diverted his gaze immediately, muttering an apology.

Tai glanced at Matt before giving a reluctant shrug and sat himself in the seat closest to Aiyokumon. Matt would have sat next to him if Sora hadn't grabbed him and forced him to sit next to her in the back row with TK, Kari, Yolei, Ken, Takato and Jeri.

Once everyone was seated, Aiyokumon ordered the Gazimon to hand out the tea to them and reclined in her seat.

"Again, I welcome you to my humble abode," she said, flashing a winning smile. "I was worried when you took so long to get here. I was afraid that I'd have to send Crusademon out to fetch you and he is a far cry from a pleasant host."

Tai held his teacup tentatively while Agumon, faithfully by his side as always, refused to even hold his.

When Aiyokumon saw that no one had touch his or her tea, peals of laughter rang through the arena.

"Puh-leez!" she exclaimed. "I haven't poisoned the tea! I swear on my soul as a Zaigou that no harm will come to you while we have tea. Why would I invite you and treat you to tea only to kill you with poison? It's barbaric and a waste of good tea! Other Zaigou may resort to that method, but I would never sink to that level. I find no pleasure in it."

As if to make her point she took a rather long sip from her own cup.

"I prefer much more dramatic methods," she said sinisterly. "I always take the time to get to know my enemy before striking. We are civilized beings after all, not primitive life forms."

"So you're toying with us," Tai said, deciding to play her game.

He reclined in his chair like she had and actually took a sip of her tea. Many of his companions stared at him as if he'd suddenly sprouted a second head.

'_Is he insane?_' Zoe thought, sitting four seats down from him on his right.

"In a manner of speaking," the woman smiled delightedly; glad someone was taking her word about the tea. "I think I rather like you boy. What is your name?"

"Tai," he answered simply. "So what do you want from us? I doubt you asked us here simply to have tea. You don't strike me as the type of woman that does this very often. You've mixed up your cultures after all. You're serving Japanese tea in English cups. Hardly the mistake a _civilized_ woman such as yourself would make unless one doesn't care about such matters. Therefore, you aren't cultured in tea in the very least. You prefer other hobbies."

Zoe stared at him. The way they were talking you could have watched from afar, clear out of hearing range, and assume that their discussion was about the weather by the way they were carrying on.

"My, Tai," she mused, "aren't you forward? And you are correct in this matter. I am not one for tea. I threw this together on a simple whim just minutes before you arrived. …I'm sure in you're world you're quite favorable with the ladies. You're quite charming."

"Why thank you," Tai smiled tightly, taking another sip of tea. "But that's not an answer to my question."

"You seem to be the most sensible person in this pathetic bunch, so I'll answer you," Aiyokumon grinned, setting down her teacup and leaned across the table, eyes feverishly riveted on Tai. "I invited you all here to see how good you are. My master has made such a fuss about you all so I simply had to see what you are capable of for myself before one of the other six Zaigou found you. I want to see if any of you are worthy enough to become my puppets."

"Puppets?" Tai repeated in an amused tone. "My isn't that amazingly childish of you."

It was meant as an offence, but Aiyokumon seemed rather pleased instead.

"I do like you Tai," she mused, sitting back. "Maybe I'll have your life spared and make you my next puppet. I'm sure my angel Takuya would love to have a friend to play with."

Tai froze, trying to keep his cool. She was baiting them now. Unfortunately Zoe wasn't as rational. She nearly dropped her cup, sloshing warm tea all over her hand.

"What do you mean by 'my angel Takuya,'" she growled.

Tai shot her a warning glance, telling her to back off and gave another to Tommy and Koji who looked just as enraged as she was.

Aiyokumon gave Zoe an imperious glare as if looking at an inferior being.

"It's just as I said child," she said snootily. "The boy was brought to me and entrusted to me to keep for my master. I have taken him in and made him my newest puppet. I do so love him. He's much better company than the Gazimon and Crusademon is so dull. Now Takuya, on the other hand, I have yet to have a boring conversation with. He is quite the spit fire, if I do say so myself."

Zoe knew she was being goaded, but hearing Aiyokumon say 'I do so love him,' nearly knocked the sense out of her. JP had gotten hold of her tea-free hand and that was the only reason why she wasn't out of her chair trying to strangle Aiyokumon to death.

"My, what an impudent brat you are, my dear," Aiyokumon sneered. "Your behavior is highly unbecoming of a young lady such as yourself."

Zoe met her gaze with a defiant glare.

Aiyokumon suddenly burst into laughter.

"I see it now!" she cried. "You're in love with the boy!"

Zoe blushed crimson, but didn't deny it.

"Ah," Aiyokumon sighed. "Now I understand. You're hostile because I have your boyfriend. No wonder he wouldn't let me have him so easily. He already had a girl! But no matter. Sorry honey, but he's mine now so it makes no difference."

Zoe froze, stunned, the color draining from her face. JP squeezed her hand tightly in reassurance, but what reassurance he was trying to convey she couldn't figure out. Her mind was racing. What had this woman done to Takuya? What had Aiyokumon meant by '_he wouldn't let me have him so easily_?' Had she…

"Oh!" Aiyokumon gasped. "I had no idea humans were capable of such physical interaction. No wonder he didn't like me playing with his clothes at first. He really is sharp for catching on to my mind reading abilities so fast."

Zoe stiffened and dropped her gaze. She had been thinking that Aiyokumon had raped Takuya in order to possess him, which actually wasn't too far from the truth. Two emotions rushed through her at once. One was relief that Takuya hadn't done _it_ with a Digimon and the other was pure hatred and loathing towards Aiyokumon and at herself for letting her mind get carried away. Of course it was impossible for her to know about Aiyokumon's mind reading ability, but she still cursed herself for giving Aiyokumon the idea.

Aiyokumon was still laughing.

"You can read minds?" Tai asked curtly, trying to regain control of the situation.

"Yes," Aiyokumon sighed, wiping away a non-existent tear from her eye. "But only as long as I have maintained constant eye contact. Unless you're one of my puppets, that is. In that case, I have access to your mind whenever I want to converse with you. I do so enjoy my little chats with Takuya. He is quite entertaining for a human. Speaking of Takuya, he has been dying to see you all again."

She then snapped her fingers delicately. It was deathly silent as everyone waited. Finally, five minutes later, Takuya walked through a hidden door behind Aiyokumon, his face uncharacteristically expressionless and eyes vacant. He halted behind her, hovering over her left side. He showed no sign that he recognized his friends sitting there before him. This hurt them more than they thought it would. They hadn't known what to expect, but so see their friend like this was disheartening. Takuya was nothing more than a doll now.

"Hello Takuya darling," Aiyokumon smiled sweetly up at her puppet. "Thank you for joining us."

"What have you done to him?" Koji said through gritted teeth.

Aiyokumon stood up from her seat and tilted Takuya's chin in her direction.

"I cast some of my best spells and used high quality potions on him," she answered matter-of-factly. "I found that the Warrior Spirit of Flame inside of him protected the body whenever Takuya was incapable of doing so himself, like, oh say, when he's unconscious. So I had to take Agunimon out first by using a powerful potion. Then, deciding to have some fun with a forceful possession, I cut Takuya's own spirit and consciousness off from his physical body and battled with him for domination over his mind, imprisoning him inside it. So the Takuya you know and love is still here deep inside, but is incapable of doing anything along with the spirit of Agunimon. He is the perfect puppet, completely mine to command at will."

As if to make her point, Takuya's arm wound around her slim hourglass frame. She wound her own arms around his neck and pecked him lightly on the cheek, loving the way Zoe fumed silently in her seat.

"It seems our visit has come to an end and the time for talk is over. Takuya darling? Get rid of them please," Aiyokumon purred in his ear.

Then she evaporated into thin air and everything, the table, chairs, tea and teacups, disappeared. The DigiDestined fell onto their rear ends with the sudden absence of chairs and quickly scrambled to their feet. Takuya remained standing where Aiyokumon had left him.

"Takuya?" Koji said tentatively.

Takuya turned to face Koji and then suddenly he was right in front of him, a well-aimed kick making contact with his gut. Luckily Koji was somehow able to deflect most of the blow and was able to block the oncoming punch to his face.

"Takuya!" he growled. "Please, you have to snap out of it! I know you're in there somewhere! You have to fight her!"

"He can't Koji," Zoe heard Koichi say. "I can feel the shadows that fog his mind. He's buried so deep inside his own mind that he's not even present."

Zoe stared numbly at Takuya who had thrown a well-aimed roundhouse kick at Koji's head only to be blocked again by the experienced martial artist. Was it hopeless then? Was he lost to them forever?

Takuya – or rather Aiyokumon – must have realized that human attacks weren't working because Takuya's body stopped in mid action and backed away before bursting into flames. Somehow, without even using Takuya's D-Tector, Aiyokumon had forced Takuya to transform into Agunimon. Koji had no choice but to become Lobomon and fend off his friend's advances.

Tai had wisely come to the conclusion that he and the other DigiDestined would only get in the way of the warrior's battle so he ordered everyone over to the entryway that they had come in from and ordered Izzi and Guardromon find the safest route out. Izzi opened his laptop and began calculating with Kazu and Guardromon while everyone gathered around and waited. The other four Warriors had transformed into their Digimon human spirit evolutions to bring up the rear and provide a suitable cover for their escape while Lobomon fought off Agunimon.

Agunimon was pressing Lobomon back though so Beetlemon broke off from the group and entered the fray as well. The two tried to press their advantage of out numbering Agunimon and gain some ground, but Agunimon managed to retain the upper hand. None of their attacks where having any effect on him, but he was having plenty of an effect on the two of them. He was bearing down on them with flamed punches and kicks. They were beginning to get beat pretty badly when Löwemon (Koichi) decided that it was time for him to aid them in the struggle. He broke off from the group as well and rushed back to help his twin and JP. No one bothered to call him back. His help was needed elsewhere. It was then that Izzi finally had the best route calculated and he was about to lead the way out when something unexpected happened.

Agunimon suddenly pitched over and everyone froze where they stood, watching. It looked like Agunimon was clutching his chest, and breathing heavily. His friend's attacks had had an effect on him after all. He suddenly began to cough and hack loudly. It was an awful sound, like he was about to 'cough up a lung' as the saying went.

"It's his lung cancer," Joe gasped, being the first to realize what was happening. "His body can't take the strain of battle. Not with three opponents. It doesn't matter how powerful he is, the strain while he's in that form is too great."

Kazemon (Zoe)'s heart ached to see him like this.

Suddenly Takuya got up and attacked Löwemon, but the move was sloppy and misdirected. Löwemon dodged easily, backed up by Beetlemon who sent Agunimon sprawling onto the arena's floor. Agunimon coughed again and aimed another attack at Löwemon, but Lobomon intercepted him.

"Why did he go for Löwemon?" Izzi wondered aloud. "Beetlemon was a lot closer."

Feeling relatively safe in the arch of the entryway of the arena, the other DigiDestined had remained, forgetting all intentions of fleeing, too enthralled by the battle happening before them. The three warriors traded blows against Agunimon for another five minutes when it became obvious that since joining the fight, Löwemon had become Agunimon's main target. It was completely unlike the who-ever-is-the-closest fighting strategy he had been using before when it was just Lobomon and Beetlemon fighting him. It was Kari who figured out why first.

"He's going after Koichi because Koichi represents darkness!" she gasped. "The darkness inside of Koichi must draw Takuya to him. I've been watching carefully for a while now and I think that Koichi has gotten weaker after every encounter he has with Takuya!"

Izzi analyzed the next few attacks that Agunimon succeeded in making contact with Koichi and realized that the DigiDestined of Light was right. Agunimon seemed to be gaining strength as well, his coughing becoming less frequent.

"Zoe, get him out of there," Tai ordered one of the two remaining Warrior DigiDestined still with the group. "He won't be able to withstand any more blows if you don't get in there and take his place."

Kazemon nodded and took off at full speed.

She arrived there in time to intercept Agunimon in another attack that would have hit the exhausted Löwemon.

"Koichi get out of here!" she yelled over her shoulder as she tried to throw Agunimon back.

The Warrior of Darkness wasted no time asking for an explanation and simply did as he was told. It wasn't until he was gone and after Beetlemon had helped her push Agunimon back that Zoe got a good look at the Warrior of Flame. Blood was dripping from his mouth and he looked like he could barely breath. Yet he was pressing on and reverting to his old strategy, attacking Lobomon who happened to be the closest. Kazemon set up for the next blow when Agunimon pitched over a second time, coughing up an unhealthy looking amount of blood.

"Takuya, please stop," Kazemon pleaded. "You're killing yourself!"

Agunimon seemed to pause. She waited to see what he did with baited breath, but any hope that he had heard her was dashed when he threw himself at Beetlemon.

"Taki! It's us!" Beetlemon cried, somehow managing to block the sudden attack. "Z is right, you're killing yourself!"

Kazemon reluctantly sent a kick into his ribcage to help Beetlemon disengage Agunimon. Lobomon brought down his light beam sword with Agunimon just managing to block the attack with his right forearm.

"Come on Takuya!" Lobomon grunted, pressing his attack. "Break free!"

His sword suddenly erupted in a bright light and all were blinded.

* * *

Oh! Not cool! A cliff hanger? What has happened? Will Koji be able to reach Takuya? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

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Yay! Tai's wearing goggles again! I missed seeing him wear them in season 2, didn't you? Now he's got cool big boy goggles! So what'd ya think? You see why it needs to be in Koji's POV next chapter? A lot is about to go down (not that a lot hasn't gone down already) and you won't want to miss it! WARNING! some of you may hate me for what is to come, but I promise you that nothing is ever as it seems in this story so I hope you tough it out and see what happens. Please review, I just love seeing even the simplest messages and let me know if you found anything confusing and unclear and I'll fix it.

Ok so not much was changed in this chapter revision since i really didn't see much of an oppertunity to add in some Tamers stuff, but i did add in mention of Kazu and Guardromon helping Izzi devise the best way to leave the tunnels. I also added in a few sentences to clear up any confusion about when the Warriors joined in the fight against taki. hope everything was made clear. if not please shoot me a message and I'll fix it ASAP. :)


	12. The Deadly Promise

Here we are. Chapter 12. It took me a while trying to get it to be as good as it could. It's the longest I've written for this story so far. I wanted to keep updating as quickly as possible within reason, but I'm still not satisfied with how it ended up in comparison to what I had originally intended to happen. It wasn't supposed to happen this fast, expanding over two to three chapters instead of crammed into 1. I feel sorry for Koji because he's put on the spot and can't avoid what he knows he has to do. I hope you enjoy this chapter anyways. Let me know if you find something confusing or not well explained as well. I may replace this chapter, but keep in mind that the outcome will remain the same.

Just a reminder, the Adventure's original DigiDestined's digimon can't digivolve higher then champion level in the 02 season so no mega or ultimate levels will be seen from them in this story YET. Same with Tamers. :P

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.

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**Chapter 12: The Deadly Promise**

**The Digital World: Location: Aiyokumon's Arena**

Koji had just barely managed to deflect Takuya's kick and follow up with a quick block to protect his face. He couldn't believe that he was fighting his best friend. He didn't want to fight him, but knew he would have to strike back at some point.

"Takuya!" he growled. "Please, you have to snap out of it! I know you're in there somewhere! You have to fight her!"

"He can't Koji," he heard Koichi tell him from behind. "I can feel the shadows that fog his mind. He's buried so deep inside his own mind that he's not present."

Takuya choose that moment to aim a fairly strong roundhouse kick at Koji's head that he blocked it easily, but he had to give some ground in order to maintain his balance. Koji was experienced in Kendo and the basics of other martial arts so he had a good head for this type of fighting, but he had no idea if this was really Takuya's fighting style or Aiyokumon's. Takuya struck Koji as the type of person skilled in a street fighter bawl style, not martial arts, but it wouldn't be the first time Takuya had known how to do something that Koji didn't think that his friend was capable of doing.

Takuya suddenly disengaged from their hand-to-hand fight and backed away. This confused Koji until Takuya burst into flames and emerged as Agunimon.

'_So it's come to this, huh?_' Koji thought, reluctantly spirit evolving into Lobomon.

They began to trade blows again, Agunimon with his fists and Lobomon with his light energy sword. Neither of them were connecting with any seriously damaging blows, but the exertion of their efforts would eventually wear them down. Lobomon thought they were pretty even until Agunimon seemed to gain a second wind and started pressing him back and bombarding him with even more powerful attacks, hammering down on him with his fiery fists. Lobomon was losing ground fast. Then Beetlemon was there, pressing Agunimon's sudden advance back again.

This reminded them too much of the time Takuya had first gained his warrior's beast spirit. He had lost control of his senses and fought against them then as he was doing now, only this time neither Koji nor JP were going to let Tommy step in and try to snap Takuya out of it.

Lobomon and Beetlemon continued their attack, but Agunimon – even out numbered – remained in control of the battle and still held the upper hand. None of their attacks seemed to have any effect on him, but he was having plenty of an effect on them, wearing them down a lot faster then they could wear him down. It didn't take Lobomon long to figure out that Agunimon was drawing energy and strength from the nearby wall of lava. This arena Aiyokumon had brought them to played to Agunimon's element advantage. In their group Takuya had always been the most in tune with his Digimon's spirit. None of the others, not even Koji himself, had come even close to being as in sync with their spirits as Takuya had.

Agunimon continued to bear down on them with flamed punches and kicks. They were beginning to get beaten pretty badly when Löwemon joined the fray. The three of them fought back together, attempting to gang up on Agunimon when the Flame Warrior suddenly doubled over gasping. Lobomon held the other two back, giving Agunimon room to breath. They watched uneasily as Agunimon began to cough heart-wrenching coughs. One hand clutched at his chest and the other covered his mouth as the coughing steadily got worse. He began to cough so hard that blood came up, pooling in his hand and dripped onto the arena's marble floor. The sight made them sick. In the heat of battle, the fact that Takuya had lung cancer had faded to the back of their minds. Now they watched helplessly as their friend struggled for breath.

"Oh my," a soft voice cooed. "Done already Takuya darling?"

Lobomon growled, recognizing Aiyokumon's voice, as it seemed to emit from somewhere near Agunimon. There was a slight shimmer in the air and a see-through vision of Aiyokumon appeared crouching beside their collapsed friend. No one except for the three of them, standing only feet away from the illusion, could see or hear her.

"Poor baby," she cooed, stroking Agunimon's mane of hair. "It hurts in spite of my potions and the element advantage I gave you doesn't it? Lets see if I can't make that pain go away…"

Aiyokumon pulled out a small sharp looking shard of some sort of black jewel out of the folds of her dress. She admired it for a moment and then thrust it's point into Agunimon's forehead. If he could have, it looked like Agunimon would have screamed in pain, but instead he coughed up another handful of blood, gasping for breath.

Lobomon, Beetlemon and Löwemon were horrified. What had she done to him? Suddenly Agunimon got up and attacked Löwemon, but the move was sloppy and misdirected. Löwemon dodged easily, backed up by Beetlemon who sent Agunimon sprawling onto the arena's floor again. Agunimon coughed again but aimed another attack at Löwemon. Lobomon managed to intercept him.

Lobomon began to realize that Agunimon was only going after Löwemon now, even if he or Beetlemon were closer. Was this happening under the influence of that jewel shard Aiyokumon had implanted in him? He also began to realize that Löwemon's strength was dwindling. He knew his twin was opposed to fighting, but as the Warrior of Darkness, Koichi was strong and often an important asset in a battle. In this case, he was also their freshest warrior, having only been battling with them for not even ten minutes. So what was going on?

It wasn't until he intercepted another blow for Löwemon that he got his answer. Something was wrong. The instant he made contact with Agunimon, it seemed like a powerful amount of energy began to flow back into the Warrior of Flame.

'_He's draining Koichi's energy!_' he realized.

Before he could warn his twin, Agunimon launched another attack at Löwemon, but Kazemon was suddenly there, just in time to intercept the attack that would have definitely hit the exhausted Löwemon.

"Koichi get out of here!" she yelled over her shoulder as she tried to throw Agunimon back.

The Warrior of Darkness wasted no time asking for an explanation and simply did he was told. Beetlemon helped Kazemon throw Agunimon back, who was breathing heavily again, blood freely dripping from his mouth. In spite of his worsening condition, Agunimon attacked Lobomon this time. Lobomon countered easily and just as Agunimon was setting up his next attack, this time aiming for Beetlemon, he pitched over for a second time, coughing up another large amount of blood.

"Takuya, please stop," Kazemon pleaded. "You're killing yourself!"

Lobomon thought he saw Agunimon pause for a moment, but any hope that he had heard her was dashed when he threw himself at Beetlemon again.

"Taki! It's us!" Beetlemon cried, somehow managing to block the sudden attack. "Z is right, you're killing yourself!"

Kazemon sent a swift kick into Agunimon's lower ribcage to help Beetlemon disengage from him. Lobomon brought down his light beam sword, Agunimon just managing to block the attack with his right forearm.

"Come on Takuya!" Lobomon grunted, pressing his attack. "Break free!"

His sword suddenly began to vibrate within his grasp and a bright light erupted around the two of them, but they were unaffected by it. Lobomon looked directly into Agunimon's clouded blue eyes. He became absorbed in those blue orbs and then suddenly felt himself pitch forward and was falling. The bright light from his sword had vanished, replaced with an empty darkness.

He was no longer Lobomon, but his human self. He took in his surroundings quickly, seeing what looked like an ice encrusted Agunimon in front of him. His eyes soon became riveted on the limp figure hanging chained beside the frozen warrior. Takuya was bound in wispy silver chains, his body faintly glowing a fiery tinge.

"Takuya?" Koji gasped, hand outstretched towards the vision of his friend.

Takuya's eyes opened and met his gaze. They were sad but determined.

"What's going on?" Koji asked, stepping towards his friend. "Where are we?"

"We're inside my mind, but there's no time for a proper explanation. I don't have much time," Takuya stated. "Koji, there is something you must do for me. Only you can do it. Promise me as the Warrior of Light that you will do what I am about to ask you."

Koji paused. He had never seen Takuya so serious before. It was hard to believe that any of this was real. How could he be inside Takuya's mind? How did he know that this wasn't one of Aiyokumon's famous illusions? But the Takuya in front of him had his face set in the determined look that had become one of his trademark expressions, minus the smile. It was a look Koji knew well. Whatever he had to say must have been important.

"I promise," he said slowly, deciding to accept this as reality.

"You swear?" Takuya challenged.

"Yes! I swear already!" Koji sighed exasperatedly.

Koji decided that this had to be the real Takuya. Only he would have something important to say and drag it out in spite of the warning of a time limit.

"You have to kill me," Takuya stated bluntly, getting straight to the point.

All feeling left Koji.

"…Kill you?" Koji whispered.

Takuya nodded grimly.

"I… Takuya I ca-" Koji spluttered horrified.

"Don't you dare say you can't!" Takuya growled roughly. "You promised! If I live, Aiyokumon and her master get what they want. I don't have much time left to live anyways."

"You have a terminal case of lung cancer, I know," Koji slowly shook his head. "But that's no excuse to end your life any sooner than it has to!"

"It's not an ordinary cancer!" Takuya fired back. "If you don't kill me, _he_ lives and Aiyokumon's master will get what he wants! You have to stab me through the chest and the tumor!"

A disturbingly realistic image appeared between the boys. Lobomon was piercing through the upper left section of Agunimon's chest with his light blade. It was there for only an instant, but it was already ingrained in Koji's mind. Takuya was serious and Koji had given him his word without thinking about what he'd have to do. He was really going to have to kill his best friend. But why? Why did this have to happen?

"Who lives?" Koji choked back, puzzled. "What do you mean? I don't understand!"

Takuya's faded figure suddenly began to fade even more into the surrounding darkness. A low, dark chuckle rose in volume from behind him. Koji's spine shivered. He knew that voice. It belonged to the one who had nearly taken Koichi away from him half a year ago.

"Lucemon," Koji whispered, shocked. How was he still alive? They had destroyed him before returning to their own world… hadn't they?

"Takuya!" he called out to his vanishing friend.

Takuya's body suddenly became enshrouded in flame, becoming more solid than the shadow it had been only moments ago, fending off the darkness momentarily.

"It seems our time together is up," he panted weakly, the chains around him becoming more binding. "She knows I'm speaking with you now. Please Koji, do this for me. If you don't, Lucemon will take over my body and be reborn more powerful than ever with me as his core. I'd rather _die_ than let that happen, but fighting Koichi gave him some strength and has sped up his awakening process! There's not much time left. _I_ don't have much time. I can only hold out for so long."

Koji felt himself being pulled upwards, but he resisted.

"Please Koji," Takuya whispered with a sad smile. "Only you can do this. It needs to be done by someone that possesses the power of light. That Kari girl isn't strong enough for this. It needs to be you. I'm sorry that it's you that I have to ask, good buddy. I really am. …I can only guarantee that I'll hold out for another hour. You need to forget that it's me you're fighting and treat Agunimon like any other enemy. This needs to end now!"

"Takuya!" Koji cried helplessly. He couldn't do this.

"Take care of the others Koji," Takuya sighed, his eyelids growing heavy. "I know you can do this. I believe in you… You're my best friend."

Koji couldn't resist the pull any longer and he was yanked up out of that dark world, leaving his friend behind with Lucemon and in Aiyokumon's clutches.

He was Lobomon again and his sword of light was still clashed against Agunimon's forearm. It was as if his meeting with Takuya hadn't happened. The light around them dissipated and the battle resumed, only this time Lobomon was out to kill. He no longer bothered with sweeping or glancing blows. He jabbed and made quick neat cuts, aiming at the left side of his enemy's chest. Agunimon was attacking back with just as much ferocity. There were a few well-aimed kicks and fiery punches that managed to break through Lobomon's defenses. Lobomon reasoned that Takuya must have retained some sort of control inside his body before, slowing down the actions by just a fraction. But now, after making contact with him, Takuya had lost any control over his body that he may have had.

This was turning out to be an even more pressing battle as the two kept the other locked in combat, leaving Beetlemon and Kazemon out of it completely. The Warriors of Wind and Thunder were forced to wait on the sidelines and watch their two fellow warriors clash repeatedly with no opening for them to join in without getting in Lobomon's way.

Lobomon was growing weary as he continued to single handedly take on Agunimon. He was watching how Agunimon's body was beginning to fail under the strain of battle. Agunimon wasn't getting enough air into his lungs and it was beginning to show. His movements became more erratic, sloppy, and eventually weak. Agunimon swayed on his feet, unable to continue fighting offensively and was barely holding out defensively. Lobomon was tired too, but he pressed his advantage, his thoughts staying focused on the grim task that Takuya had given him. As long as his opponent remained in Agunimon's form, he knew he'd be able to fulfill the uncompromising promise. Finally there was an opening and Lobomon took it, jabbing straight at the exposed chest. But other forces were at work as well.

As if reading his thoughts, Agunimon dedigivolved. Takuya's body lay collapsed on the ground, breathing in ragged and desperate gasps trying to fill his lungs with air. Blood was pooling in his mouth, coming up with every labored breath and cough. Koji's heart filled with despair. He couldn't do it. He was in the perfect position, yet he could not find it inside himself to make the final blow. His blade halted in mid-air, pointing at nothing.

No one had seen him nearly kill his best friend, but it was just as well that they hadn't. They would be shocked and hate him for what he now had to do. It didn't matter that only hours ago he had been so gun-hoe about rescuing Takuya. Now he had to kill him, but he just couldn't do it. Takuya's body – he refused to think of it as Takuya himself anymore – was right there in front of him, presented to him openly enough to end this, as Takuya wanted him to. To prevent whatever plan Aiyokumon had in store for Takuya. To prevent Lucemon from returning to life once again. But because he could not find it within himself to kill his best friend his enemies had won. He had failed Takuya.

Aiyokumon's infuriatingly girlish voice giggled up from the bloody body's struggling form.

"Awe," she cooed to him as she had done to Takuya earlier. "The boy of Light can't do it. He can't save his little friend even after that friend risked his very existence to ask him to. Awe~ Poor baby."

Lobomon got angry. He didn't like her taunting. It was _her_ fault that Takuya was like this. It was _her_ fault for forcing them to fight. It was _her_ fault for pushing Takuya's body beyond its limits.

"Lets take this up a notch, shall we?" she cackled.

Takuya's body tensed, the shard of that strange jewel glowing darkly in the center of his forehead. He let out a loud wild cry and the whole arena began to rumble. Lava exploded over the stone walls, fiery embers lighting up the enclosed space. Takuya's body burst into flame once more and evolved, not into Agunimon or his beast spirit, BurningGreymon, but into its fusion form, Aldamon, who looked like Agunimon only with fiery bird's wings.

The shock wave of the heat sent Lobomon flying into Beetlemon and Kazemon. They caught him just as he reverted back into Koji. The next thing any of them saw was a giant fireball hurtling towards them.

"Blizzard Blaster!"

Kumamon was suddenly there with Flamedramon, his blaster pumping out snowballs and dissipating the fire into mist and Flamedramon's fists extinguishing any pieces that he had missed. Kumamon quickly explained to them that the other DigiDestined had wanted to help, but only the Digimon with flame attributes had been able to Digivolve here. Flamedramon had proven to be the only one that would have been of any use for fighting in this environment. If Agumon had been able to warp Digivolve into Wargreymon, he'd have been right there with them as well, but as it stood, only Flamedramon stood a chance. The others, Greymon, Birdramon, and Growlmon, were simply too big and wouldn't have been able to maneuver well in the now quickly crumbling arena.

"Koichi is getting everyone out," Kumamon told them, ending his brief explanation. "Aldamon is tearing the whole place down. We've gotta stop him."

Koji got back up and pulled out his D-Tector again.

"Leave this to me," he said. "I'm the only one that can stop him."

"Enough of the lone wolf act bud," Beetlemon growled, irked. "I thought that you had learned that already. Besides, you look beat."

"He's right, we're a team!" Kazemon added.

"Can any of you fusion evolve?" Koji pointed out none too gently.

None of them answered.

Koji fusion spirit evolved and became Beowolfmon, an upgraded version of Lobomon with a golden-clawed sword, and took off without another word.

"Lets back him up anyways," Kumamon nodded, using slide-evolution to transform into Korikakumon, a yeti snow-beast type Digimon.

Kazemon and Beetlemon reluctantly followed suit and became Zephyrmon, a bird woman, and MetalKabutarimon, a tank version of Beetlemon. Flamedramon followed them silently, firing up with the same element advantage as Aldamon.

Beowolfmon was already fighting with Aldamon high up in the air above the now collapsing arena. They ended up bringing the ceiling of the place down on top of the others during one of their massive powerful collision attacks. Beowolfmon was relieved to hear signs of Zephyrmon blowing away the debris, thus saving the others, but he had to remain focused on the fight at hand. He had wasted half an hour already and he knew that he had to finish this quickly. The arena was now nothing more than a crater in the side of a rather large and active volcano. It was night outside and there was a heavy cloud cover. The only light was provided by the hot lava that was beginning to pool in to what was left of the arena.

Aldamon's energy levels were being refilled, freely absorbing it's element's full power now that it was out in the open and no longer held back behind stone masonry. Beowolfmon groaned inwardly. He should have struck when he had the chance. The two were hammering away at each other as they had done as Lobomon and Agunimon, only their attacks were far more destructive, leveling and widening the crater around them. It was all that the other four could do to keep out of the way and leave the fighting up to the two higher-level Digimon.

Beowolfmon was loosing now though, and he knew it. This frustrated him beyond comprehension. He hadn't kept his promise to Takuya and it looked like he wouldn't be getting a second chance. Aldamon threw him to the ground in a heap, just missing a puddle of lava on his right. He heard Zephyrmon call out to him, but he couldn't tell from where. She sounded too far away. Korikakumon and MetalKabutarimon called out to him too, but he had no way to respond. He felt exhausted.

There was a sudden pressure on his back and he knew Aldamon was there, trying to crush him into the ground. He could hear Aiyokumon's voice giggling at him as Aldamon kicked him over onto his back. It was then he found the source of her voice. It was coming from that jewel shard embedded in Aldamon's forehead. She was inside of Aldamon, controlling his actions through the shard. It was the only way that Takuya's body was still moving. She was feeding it her energy and had given it the ultimate home field advantage.

Aldamon was suddenly gone from his side. He had jumped away when Korikakumon charged in with his twin axes. MetalKabutarimon was firing at Aldamon from a distance, while Zephyrmon and Flamedramon joined Korikakumon in defending the fallen Beowolfmon. Beowolfmon could feel his body yearning to lose the strain of his highest DigiVolution form, but he forced it to remain in tact. As he struggled with holding himself together he could hear the sounds of his friends getting beaten by Aldamon. He heard, not Zephyrmon's voice, but Zoe's when she screamed in terror. She had been the first to dedigivolve. Korikarumon's pained yet angry roar could be heard next. He must have been trying to defend Zoe from attack. Flamedramon's voice was Veemon's again, having lost all his strength fighting the more powerful Digimon Warrior. Only MetalKabutarimon's attacks had remained steady and consistent from his distant vantage point, but Aldamon silenced him too eventually. Everyone's moans and Aiyokumon's cheerful laughter could be heard clearly in the cold night air. The voices of the other DigiDestined who had escaped could also be heard cheering from a far distance, encouraging them not to give up.

Just when things seemed to be at it's worst the moon came out, a full one. It's light cleared the sky of all clouds. Night's natural source of light was finally out. Beowolfmon could feel the renewing energy shoot through his body. It numbed the pain and healed most of his wounds and bruises from the prolonged battle. He could fight again and this time Aldamon wasn't the only one with a home field advantage. He had one now too. Beowolfmon launched himself at Aldamon's figure in the distance, trying to ignore the protesting cries that came from his wounded friends. There would be time to see to them later. Right now, he only had minutes left to fulfill his promise.

Aldamon's eyes widened with surprise, as he found himself confronted with an enemy he had thought he'd defeated. This confirmed Beowolfmon's theory that Aiyokumon was inside the body and in control. Before, there had been no emotions displayed on that face. When in the battle she had entered the body, he had no clue, but now he was even more determined to defeat her. How dare she enter his friend's body and use it as her own.

They resumed their brutal attack patterns again, but Beowolfmon had gained the upper hand with his surprising comeback. Aldamon's actions became more panicked and flustered as it tried to fend him off. Beowolfmon actually got a powerful attack to make contact and sent the flaming Digimon hurtling into the ground as it had done to him only minutes ago. He wasted no time with the follow up attack. It was going to end here. It had to.

This time there was no mistaking the action he was committed to. Of course it was Zoe who caught on first. He heard the strangled exclamation of "NO!" escape her lips as he slid into his warrior form, Lobomon, once more and poised his blade of light energy, aiming right for the spot that had been engrained in his mind since he made his promise to Takuya. Tommy and JP yelled out to him as well, but he ignored them. It had to be done. He had promised…

Suddenly, in a final act of self-preservation, Aiyokumon forced Aldamon to dedigivolve back into Takuya's human body. Lobomon cursed as he faltered again, his blade stopping just millimeters from piercing flesh. He just couldn't do it. The body of his friend was already badly beaten internally as well as externally from the abuse it had received within the last hour. Blood was oozing from the various cuts and gurgling up from his infected lung. Takuya's mouth became contorted in a satisfied grin, but it wasn't Takuya's grin. It was Aiyokumon's. And in spite of all that, he still couldn't do it. Not when it took his best friend's form. He could kill a Digimon. Give him a Digimon enemy and he'd gladly slay them, knowing that they'd be reconfigured and later reborn. But a human could only live once. That was why he couldn't do it.

He had failed again. Time was up.

Aiyokumon's giggling voice came bubbling out from between the body's blood stained lips, the feeling of her victory shining within the clouded eyes. Lobomon couldn't move. He tried to stab down, he really did, but his body had frozen on him. He could feel the frustrated tears welling up in his eyes.

'_I'm so sorry Takuya_,' he thought despairingly. '_I'm not as strong as you are._'

He could hear Zoe, JP and Tommy approach him warily. He could feel their eyes on him, but it was Zoe's incredulous and heated stare that was burning into the back of his head. He didn't dare move now. He couldn't face them. Not only had he failed to fulfill his promise to Takuya, but he had also betrayed his friends in this lone incomplete action.

What happened next, no one was prepared for.

Lobomon hadn't moved his blade from its close proximity to the possessed boy's chest. In fact, he hadn't budged at all. Aiyokumon was obviously enjoying her victory and his failure. She began to laugh aloud inside Takuya's limp body when the arms moved of their own accord. They grabbed hold of Lobomon's blade and thrust the point into Takuya's chest, a crimson stain blooming underneath the yellow and red shirts. Lobomon stared, shocked, but he wasn't nearly as surprised as Aiyokumon was. Brown eyes flew open, the mouth forming an angry 'O,' but the expression soon softened. The clouded eyes became clear and the mouth formed a content smile. Takuya was back.

Lobomon instinctively withdrew the blade but with it came an explosion of dark energy. It gathered into a misshapen shadow that took the form of Lucemon. The other Warriors recognized the figure instantly, shocked and confused to see it coming out of Takuya's body through the gaping wound. The shadow shrieked and twisted and writhed in the air, cursing the Warriors of Light and Flame before dissipating and vanishing completely in a puff of smoke. Lobomon was soon aware that Aiyokumon had also come out of Takuya's body too.

"How dare you! You've killed your own friend!" she shrieked. "You wrecked my possession! My master will not be pleased to hear you've ruined his plans! Join your precious friend in death!"

She lashed out at him with a black whip and threw him into one of the few walls of the arena that had remained standing. He was so exhausted from the prolonged battle that he couldn't hold his Digimon form any more and reverted back to Koji while sliding down to the ground. His friends cried out as Aiyokumon drew a sinister looking bald from the folds of her dress. She lifted the sword and he braced himself for the coming blow. Everyone was so focused on what was happening that they didn't see Takuya get up. Takuya used the last vestiges of air in his lungs and the final reserves of his strength to evolve into Agunimon one last time to take the blow that was meant for Koji in the gut. The Zaigou of Lust's blade had no problem piercing through Agunimon's armor and slicing through him with a sickening: Thunck!

Everyone stared at him, unable to comprehend what he had just done. Aiyokumon looked surprised to see Agunimon as well. His blood flowed freely from the new and fatal wound.

"Still able to play one last round after all, my fire puppet?" she mused.

"Well… you know… what they say…" Agunimon somehow managed to rasp. "When you… play with fire… you're bound… to get… burned…"

He ignited himself and spread the flames onto the Zaigou witch through her sword's blade that was now soaked with his blood. His blood proved to be highly flammable and the spatter that had hit her when she struck him caught automatically. She shrieked in pain as Agunimon released a mighty thrust of fire, throwing her into a lava stream close by. He continued to burn her until she burst into shards of data, the jewel shard in his forehead disintegrating with its owner. He was Takuya again once she was gone and collapsed into a bloody heap.

Koji reached him first, cradling his broken friend in his arms. Blue eyes met honey brown in their final moments. Koji desperately clung to his friend, as if holding him close would somehow stop the blood from flowing from the two wounds. Blood soaked into his clothes and out of the body that needed it. Koji had never felt so helpless in his life, even when compared to the time he had rushed into the emergency room to see Koichi wake from his coma.

"Koji… Thank… you," Takuya gasped, smiling faintly up at him as the others joined them. "You… kept your... promise…"

Koji shook his head.

"No," he choked. "I couldn't. It was all you in the end. I had failed."

"What's he talking about?" he heard Zoe whisper hoarsely to JP and Tommy.

Takuya's head jerked in a negative motion.

"No… You di…dn't…"

Takuya raised his hand up in a fist.

Koji couldn't stop the tears from flowing any more. They had begun their friendship by acknowledging each other with a fist bump. Now they were going to part ways in the same manner. Koji raised his fist as well and lightly tapped it against Takuya's before taking the hand into his own.

It was then that the other DigiDestined arrived on the scene and Koichi took his place among his friends beside Koji. Takuya looked at each of them in turn, ending with Zoe. She gently took his hand away from Koji and held it in her own. No words were exchanged between them, but Koji could see them speak to each other through their gaze alone. Tommy was crying with JP's arm around his shoulders while the older boy allowed his own tears to fall silently. Koichi rested his head on Koji's shoulder. The other DigiDestined hung back and allowed them to share each other's company in their friend's final moments. Those who wore hats or goggles removed them out of respect. The Warriors remained silently huddled together as Takuya breathed his last few breaths before peacefully passing away surrounded by friends under the light of the full moon and a blanket of stars.

* * *

One Zaigou down and only six to go, but Takuya's dead! What will happen now? How does this bode for the Warriors and the other Digidestined? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

* * *

Ok, don't get upset. Yes I killed off Takuya, but let me remind you that nothing is ever as it appears in this world. I don't write anything without a reason. This was a pretty graphic and action packed chapter. I'm still not quite satisfied by the means of Takuya's death, but his final moments are far more peaceful then what I had originally had in mind. So what do you think? Should I keep this chapter as it is or would you like to see a version of what I originally had in mind? I'm going to be taking a break this coming week for finals so you won't hear from me for a few days, but I can assure you that I will continue posting these chapters as quickly as i can write them and post them when I find them satisfactory.

When revising this chapter I really didn't change anything (none at all). I think I even cried while writing this chapter's ending (Takuya is my favorite next to Tai after all) and rereading this was no different. TTxTT


	13. Remembrance

Sorry for the wait! Here's chapter 13! Finals are now over and winter break has now begun! I can't guarantee that I'll update any quicker as I have been doing until now for the next month, but I'll do my best! ^_^

After such an action packed chapter last time, I felt that there needed to be break before i started any more. I also wanted to give Takuya a proper send off. This chapter shows just how important Takuya was to the Warriors and what they thought of him.

* * *

Chapter 13: Remembrance

The Digital World Location: Sekizou Volcano

The DigiDestined were taking refuge inside one of the mountain's many caverns. After Takuya died no one had spoken. No one wanted to. Joe had taken it upon himself to clean up Takuya's body in preparation for tomorrow's burial while everyone else set up camp for the night. By the time he was finished, it looked like the former warrior of flame was merely sleeping. The two large bloodstains on Takuya's red and yellow shirts were the only things that marred this illusion. Once camp was set up, Koji went off on his own to the back of the shallow space while everyone else sat around the fires. No one knew what to do now. They had never truly lost one of their own before. Not without the hope that that person would come back. Finally it was Zoe who couldn't stand it anymore. She had been sitting, staring into the fire pit before her, thinking back to what had happened within the past hour.

Before Takuya had reclaimed control of his body and thrust Lobomon's sword into his chest, she had been ready to yell abuse at Lobomon. She couldn't believe that Koji would take a fight against one of their own that far. J.P. and Tommy had tried to assure her that Koji wouldn't, but the attempts had been half-hearted after they saw their friend with his sword's point practically imbedded in Takuya's chest. When Lucemon had appeared, all anger and shock towards Koji had vanished. It didn't make any sense. Why was Lucemon in Takuya's body? Had Koji known that Lucemon was inside of Takuya? If so, how did he know? What was the promise Koji had made to Takuya? When had they had the time to make that promise? There were too many unanswered questions and she needed to know the answers.

"Koji!" she called out, breaking the silence.

Everyone was startled. Her tone was angry, but it was also tinged with grief. Koji emerged from the back of the cavern, his face expressionless. It was as if he didn't know what to feel, so he chose to feel nothing. He faced her, but did not speak.

"Tell us everything!" Zoe demanded, choking. "I – I! …I don't understand. …! I don't understand so tell me!"

Everyone remained silent, waiting for his answer.

Koji didn't speak at first. He stared at Zoe for another minute before looking away. He then sat down between Koichi and J.P. and simply stared at the fire, his arms resting on his knees. He appeared to be hypnotized by the flame and did not speak for a long time. Zoe was getting impatient, but before she could yell at him, he finally spoke in a soft, hushed voice. What he asked shocked her and everyone else.

"If I were to ask you to kill me, would you do it Zoe?"

She froze.

"W-what?"

"I said, would you kill me if I asked you to," he replied. "If I made you promise."

"What are you talking about?" she spluttered incredulously. "How does this have anything-!"

"It has everything to do with what happened to Takuya!" Koji yelled back. He stared hard at her for a long time before his face crumpled into one of despair, burying it into his arms.

"Remember when my blade made that bright light?" Koji asked softly.

"Yes. Why?" She nodded. "I couldn't see for a few minutes. No one could."

"Then Agunimon and I alone weren't affected," he mused, seemingly to himself. "During that moment I somehow ended up in Takuya's mind. Or at least my consciousness did. He made me promise, made me swear to him that I'd do what he asked of me. …And I agreed before knowing what it was he wanted me to do."

"And what was that?" Zoe asked a little too roughly.

"He asked me… no," Koji paused. "He _ordered_ me to kill him."

Everyone stared at him in shock.

"What?" Zoe asked, her voice now small.

"He _wanted_ me to kill him," Koji repeated.

"Why?" Tommy gasped, tears running down his face.

"It was because of the darkness growing inside of him," Koichi murmured. "He wanted Koji to kill him before the darkness dwelling inside of him took over his body completely. Isn't that right Koji?"

Koji stared at his twin, shocked.

"How do you…?" Koji trailed off.

Koichi smiled sadly at him.

"I know because I could feel the darkness inside of him feeding off my own dark energy. That is why I left the battle when Zoe told me to. I was hindering your efforts just by being in close proximity to him."

Koji looked back into the fire's flickering flames once again.

"It was incredibly dark inside of Takuya's mind," he whispered. "I could barely see him. He looked so faded, like a picture that's been projected onto smoke, instead of a screen or wall. He told me that I had to kill him. That I had to stab him through the chest and the tumor or else… Lucemon would take over his body and be reborn more powerful than ever with Takuya at his core. He told me that we couldn't let that happen. He said that it had to be me. I had to kill him as the Warrior of Light."

He laughed without humor. It was a bleak and pitiful laugh. Then his face became one filled with endless sorrow and regret.

"He made me promise, Zoe," he whispered. "Can you imagine how hard that was for me? He didn't ask any of you, he asked _me_! _I_ had to be the one to kill him. He told me that I had one hour before Lucemon awakened. That was all the time he could give me. But I failed him. I couldn't do it. I couldn't kill my best friend even though it needed to be done. Even though it was what he had wanted! When I was fighting him as Agunimon I had no problem wielding my blade against him. As long as he was in his Digimon form, I could face him and carry out that promise. It was when Aiyokumon made him human again that I couldn't strike. I couldn't even move my blade to cut the skin! Twice I froze like that. Twice! It was Takuya's own strength and will that saved him in the end. …That saved us."

It was quiet now. No one had dared to interrupt him as he poured out everything: his guilt, his shame, and his grief. Tears were freely streaming down his face as he buried it in his arms. Koichi wrapped a comforting arm around his brother's shoulders. J.P. and Tommy stared numbly into the fire, while Zoe stared stricken at Koji. She'd had no idea what her friend had gone through. She had yelled at him. Blamed him. Koji had been the one who suffered the most when Takuya died. And he was still the one suffering the most. He was the one who had to bear the burden of killing his best friend. He'd made a promise to Takuya and found that he'd been unable to keep it. Not only that, but Takuya's last act had been to protect Koji from Aiyokumon. Koji would be haunted for a long time by the memory of his best friend being stabbed in his place.

Her friend was hurting even more than she was and there was only one thing she felt she could do. Zoe rose from her spot and stood in front of Koji. He looked up at her miserably, waiting for her to start yelling at him, to blame him for what he'd done, or rather, what he _hadn't_ done. Everyone gave her apprehensive stares. It was quiet for a long moment. Zoe's face was unreadable.

"I'm sorry Zoe," Koji whispered hoarsely.

She could see it in his eyes. He was pleading with her for the forgiveness that he so desperately needed from her, from everyone, even though he had essentially done nothing wrong. She kneeled down in front of him and then wrapped her arms around his huddled figure. Koichi quickly removed his own arm from around his brother so that he wouldn't get caught up in the embrace. Koji sat, stunned, as the blond hugged him tightly. It was a moment before he hugged her back. No words needed to be spoken. She had forgiven him, and they both mourned Takuya's loss.

In her mind, there was nothing Koji could have done differently. She knew that there was no way Takuya would have really expected Koji to kill him. Takuya had Koji make that promise because he knew that Koji would do his best to keep it. He must have only needed Koji to get close enough with the light blade to do the job himself. At least, that is what she chose to believe.

No one slept well that night. Most of them had nightmares. In the morning, they walked down the mountainside to the forest at its summit to find a good spot to bury their friend. They found a nice clearing and decided it was as good a place as any for the funeral, but Koji stopped them from digging a grave.

"I think we should cremate him," Koji explained. "He was the warrior of flame after all."

"I think so too," Zoe agreed silently.

J.P. and Koichi nodded.

Tommy wasn't listening. He was staring at the whistle that hung around his neck. It was the only part of his birthday present from Takuya that had come with him to the Digital world. It was a plain silver whistle, but now it meant everything to the boy as a reminder of his friend. Last night he could have sworn that he had heard Agunimon's voice speaking to him through the whistle. It had to have been a dream, but it had felt so real. Agunimon had told him that Takuya had died a warrior's death and that every Warrior of Flame was destined to go down in flames so that he could one day rise from its ashes. It was probably the spirit warrior's way of assuring Tommy that he'd see Takuya again some day, if not in this life, than in the next one.

"What did you say Tommy?" Zoe asked him, looking amazed.

Tommy blinked. He hadn't realized that he'd said anything.

"Huh?" he spluttered. "What'd I say?"

"Something about the Warrior of Flame rising from the ashes," J.P. mused to himself. "That sounds familiar. Like the dream I had last night."

"You had a dream of Agunimon too?" Tommy asked before he even realized what he was asking.

"Yeah!" J.P. nodded. "He was saying that Takuya would always be with us. I think he was just trying to help me move on. I mean we must be here for a reason so I think he was saying that we shouldn't let Takuya's death bring us down. If we give up, then Taki died for nothing. That would mean that Agunimon himself had died again for nothing."

"I had a similar dream," Koichi nodded.

"That's too weird," Zoe wailed. "'Cause I had one too. What about you Koji?"

"I did," Koji admitted. "Only in mine, Agunimon said that if we truly wanted to honor Takuya's sacrifice, we'd give him a warrior's funeral by burning his body as it is custom for all flame warriors. I don't know if that's true, but that's what he told me."

"Well many cultures do believe that burning the body rids it of all impurities so that the soul can move on to the after life," Izzi mused from behind them. "It was an ideal funeral service for mighty warriors. They did it in Star Wars for the Jedi, I seem to recall."

"Then lets start gathering enough timber. Are you sure this is what you want?" Tai asked the five remaining Warriors.

They gave each other a single glance before nodding firmly. If burning Takuya's remains was the way to honor a warrior's death, then they were going to do it. Takuya deserved that much. Agunimon had certainly thought so.

It took them a good hour to gather enough timber and gather it into a proper looking pyre to lay Takuya's body on top of. They all paid their last respects. Suzie, Ai and Mako had found some flowers and placed them next to Takuya. Zoe was touched by the gesture and nearly broke down right there, hiding her face in Koji's shoulder. Koji was back to wearing an expressionless mask, but he didn't shrug Zoe off. Tai ended it by saying a few parting and respectful words about Takuya before allowing Agumon and Guilmon to set the pyre on fire. They all watched as the flames engulfed the timber and Takuya's body. It was hard for them when the smell of charred flesh and hair reached their noses, but they remained in the clearing to prevent the trees from catching fire. They kept the fire going even as the day quickly faded into the night.

As they settled down for the evening, Tai suggested that the Warriors share their fondest memories of Takuya. He knew that this was hard for them, but they needed to get it out and move on. J.P. had been right when he had said that they were all brought to this Digital world for a reason. They couldn't mourn forever. They simply didn't have that luxury.

No one wanted to speak at first, but eventually J.P. laughed. They all looked at him as if he were crazy.

"Look at us," he chuckled. "We're pathetic. If Takuya were alive to see us I'm sure he'd throw a major fit! He'd call us a bunch of moping bums and tell us to get off our butts and do something."

Koichi managed a chuckle.

"Being down certainly wasn't his style," he agreed. "Takuya never was down for too long. If he ever was he'd scold himself."

"He just had a short attention span," Zoe scoffed lightly. "He couldn't stay in any emotional state for very long. I swear he had more mood swings than a girl."

J.P. laughed.

"The idiot," Koji muttered. "He certainly was obnoxious in the beginning."

"You two couldn't stand each other!" Zoe grinned.

"Really?" Koichi asked, wide eyed, looking at Koji.

"Yeah!" J.P. grinned. "That's right, you came along after they resolved most of their differences."

"They fought all the time," Tommy chimed in.

"Gee, sound like anyone you know Matt?" Tai grinned at his blond friend who elbowed him for the jab.

"You guys could never decide on a plan of action without having to argue about it first," Zoe laughed.

"You're one to talk Zoe," J.P. snickered. "As I seem to recall, you and Takuya got off on the wrong foot in the beginning too. Like that time we were trying to decide which set of tracks to follow after Tommy got his spirit."

"We were headed for the forest terminal," Tommy sighed, laughing. "And Takuya picked the wrong way."

"I seem to remember you picking that wrong way as well, Tommy," Zoe gently scolded him. "You two couldn't believe that I got a spirit."

"Didn't I have to save you in the end even after you got your spirit?" Koji asked.

Zoe shot him a glare.

"So what?" she retorted. "I seem to remember you getting your butt kicked pretty badly a few times as well. It was my first time using Kazemon's spirit! I was still getting the hang of it."

"And I wasn't?" Koji challenged, a smirk forming on his sullen features. "Because that was only my second time as Lobomon."

"It took you long enough to get a hang of your beast spirit," Tommy mused.

"Well _I_ had no problem with _my _beast spirit," Zoe boasted.

"Neither did I," J.P. nodded. "…But I was certainly having déjà vu fighting Agunimon yesterday," J.P. sighed. "Remember when Takuya got his beast spirit?"

Koji groaned.

"What happened?" Tai asked, partly out of curiosity and partially to keep the conversation going. Koichi looked interested too, never having heard the full story himself.

"We were getting hammered by Grumblemon, the corrupt Warrior of Earth," Koji explained. "We were somewhat rescued by BurningGreymon, the Warrior of Flames' beast spirit, but it had possessed a Shamanmon. Shamanmon was in pain from the possession so Takuya rescued the Digimon, but ended up getting possessed himself. The beast spirit caused him to go out of control. J.P. and I had to fight him in an attempt to knock some sense into him, but we didn't make any progress. He started to beat us pretty badly."

"You got thrown on top of me a few times," J.P. groaned with a laugh. "You were heavy too, in your beast spirit form."

Koji made a face.

"It's not like you made much of a soft landing J.P," he scoffed. "Not in Beetlemon's armor."

"But do you remember that roar of his?" J.P. asked, shuddering.

Zoe nodded.

"It didn't even sound human," she whispered. "Bokumon had said, 'Of course it doesn't. That's why they call it a beast spirit.' It was like Takuya wasn't even in there anymore."

"Then how'd you stop him?" Davis asked, caught up in the story.

"We didn't," Koji sighed. "Takuya nearly burnt down the entire forest. It was Tommy who got through to Takuya in the end."

Everyone looked admiringly at the little boy.

"Awe," Tommy blushed. "I didn't do much at all. All I did was get caught."

"I thought he was going to crush you," Zoe sighed, remembering the incident. "You looked so small in his clawed hands. You reminded him who he was and woke him up out of that possession."

"I thought he was going to run away," Koji sighed. "After Tommy broke through to him, he was so horrified at what he'd done that he'd bashed his head into the rocks and crushed them. I can't remember another time where he's been that upset. He hated himself for letting the beast spirit take control of him like that."

"As I recall," J.P. mused, "he was too freaked to even want to try turning into his beast spirit again until Tommy was kidnapped by Grumblemon later that day."

"He had the most problems with his beast spirit than any of us," Koji agreed. "Fire certainly isn't an easy element to control."

"Not nearly as hard as darkness," Koichi disagreed. "My corrupted spirits possessed me for half the time I was in the Digital world. If it weren't for the you guys and Ophanimon, I'd still be Cherubimon's puppet."

Koji nodded, solemnly.

"True," he admitted. "Fire doesn't have to war within itself in order to say balanced like darkness does."

It became quiet for a minute before Tommy started laughing.

"Hey," he giggled. "Do you guys remember the day we decided that we should do something other than meet up in the park and went to Tokyo Disney Sea instead because he won those free tickets?"

"Yeah…" they nodded slowly.

"Well I was just thinking about the time we were waiting in line for the Indiana Jones ride. Takuya was balancing on that railing, remember?"

"Oh god," Zoe choked. "He nearly fell over into the pit below!"

Koji and J.P. were shaking their heads, grins slowly spreading across their faces.

"I remember that," Koichi chuckled. "He nearly took me down with him. I was leaning against the same railing and when he nearly lost his balance, we both started to teeter over."

"I decked him good for that," Koji mused, smiling at the memory. "The moron. What was he trying to do again?"

"It was his short attention span getting the better of him again," Zoe sighed. "The line was moving slowly so he decided that he needed a proper distraction."

"Yeah," J.P. grunted. "A fast pass to the emergency room is the perfect distraction. Do you guys remember his face after we pulled him back? Priceless!"

"Not nearly as much as the one he made after Koji knocked him outside the head," Tommy snorted.

They all laughed.

"He was nuts!" J.P. snickered.

"Well yeah," Zoe sighed. "But he had his moments."

"Like the time those guys were picking on me after school," Tommy frowned, staring up at the stars above the clearing. "He was picking me up on the way to our weekend meeting. I had said something that must have offended this other kid and he tried to beat me up after school got out. I was lucky that Takuya got there in time, because he was beating me pretty badly. He chased the bully off and treated me to some ice cream before we joined you guys."

J.P. shook his head.

"Well when my school got together with other schools for sports day, none of the teams from my school would let me join," Zoe mused as she gathered her thoughts. "I didn't know that it was his school was involved until I spotted him warming up for the soccer games. I remember how everyone on his team seemed to look to him for the plays. He was never a glory hound, like I thought he'd be. He was pretty popular with the girls," she frowned. "After the game, he saw me in the bleachers and waved. A lot of the girls from my class noticed and started asking me about him."

"Were these the same girls you had trouble making friends with?" J.P. asked.

"Yeah," she nodded. "This happened almost right after we returned from our adventures in the Digital world. The next set of events that came up that day were the integrated school events. There had to be at least one person from the other school competing in a group. No one wanted me to join their group from my school, but Takuya recruited me for his. We entered the three-legged race and some other two-contestant events together for our group. We didn't win them all, but we won more than any other pairing. I had an easier time making friends after that. I was asked to be on more teams for my school later that day and Takuya cheered me on even if it was against his own school."

J.P. leaned back against a tree he had his back to and joined Tommy in gazing up at the stars.

"Takuya did have a way of making you feel like you belonged," he sighed. "He never left anyone out of anything."

"That's true," Koji smiled, staring into the slowly dying flames of Takuya's pyre. "After Koichi joined us, Takuya tried to give me some advice about being a brother."

Koichi smiled, remembering his own private pep talks with Takuya.

"He'll be greatly missed," he murmured, leaning his head on his twin's shoulder.

Koji wrapped an arm around Koichi's shoulders and nodded mutely.

"Yeah," Zoe and Tommy sighed in unison, hugging their legs.

J.P. nodded.

"I didn't know him as well as you all did," Tai smiled, "but he talked fondly of you guys during the time it was just us, Takato and Guilmon in the cave tunnels. He seemed like the kind of guy who didn't give up on anything."

"He was," Zoe nodded. "It was sometimes one of his most annoying qualities, but it was also one that we all admired."

"'Never give up' was his mantra. That and 'Leave no man behind,'" J.P. chuckled.

"That last one was the saying that got him in the end," Koji said bitterly. "Even if it meant he might have lived, he would never leave any of us behind."

It was quiet for another moment before anyone spoke again.

"You can't keep blaming yourself for what happened Koji," Zoe sighed, looking at her friend. "It's just the way Takuya was. You didn't ask him to shield you and throw himself onto Aiyokumon's blade. He chose to do it all on his own."

Koji remained silent, continuing to gaze into the pyre's flames. The only sign that he accepted her words was the movement he made to hold Koichi a little closer.

"I know Zoe," he finally sighed. "I know."

* * *

Does Koji really understand? What will they do now? Will Takuya's death affect them in a negative way or will they persevere through it all? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

Ok, I can't say when it I'll post the next chapter, because now I'm posting another story, Anime Survivor. It has popular characters from 20 different anime shows, including the one and only Tai Kamiya! If you like this story I hope you'll check out that one too. Just so you guys know, I moved the original chapters of this story that I'd posted as bonus chapters on this one and published them as their own story collection. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and are looking forward to the next one as the story moves into another story arch. Please let me know what you think in your reviews! Until next time!


	14. Lord Byakkomon

Here's chapter 14! I know I've kinda been dragging out the whole Takuya's death bit, but now we finally move on to gaining some answers to the means behind his death. It took me a few days to get this where I wanted it and a lot of reviewing certain episodes in the series. This is the start of a new story arch in this story and I hope you enjoy.

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.

* * *

Chapter 14: Lord Byakkomon

The Digital World Location: The Forest Outside Sekizou City

In the morning the pyre's fire had died completely, leaving nothing but a large pile of ashes. Tommy was the first to wake up and he couldn't help looking among the debris. There was nothing left of his good friend and brother figure. Not even a pane of plastic glass or a charred strap from his goggles remained. A sound behind him alerted him of someone else's presence.

"Good morning Tommy," a girl's voice greeted him.

He turned and found the quiet Tamer girl, Jeri, standing there.

"Morning," he mumbled before looking back at the pile of ashes.

She joined him and stood by his side. They remained quiet for a few minutes before Jeri spoke again.

"You two were close?" she asked softly.

"He was like an older brother to me," he confirmed.

Jeri nodded.

"I know what it's like to loose someone precious," she said softly. "When I my mother passed away it felt like the world was ending."

Tommy glanced at her. She was holding an orange dog-looking sock puppet to her chest as she stared at Takuya's ashes.

"I was only a year or two younger than you are," she continued. "She had been sick for some time before she… Well, my fondest memories of her are from when I was little. She would put on these hand made sock puppet shows for me. I became attached to the puppets. I even kept one of them as a memento."

She looked fondly at the sock puppet. It was old and a little beat up, but it looked like it'd been loved and well taken care of. It made Tommy look at his whistle. She noticed the movement and nodded at it.

"Did Takuya give that to you?" she asked.

"Yeah," he sighed. "It was one of the things he gave me for my birthday a few days ago. …It feels a lot longer than that."

Jeri nodded, a sympathetic smile on her face.

"Everything will be alright," she sighed. "Things may seem grim now and it may even get worse, but that means that things can only get better after that."

Tommy smiled a bit. What Jeri said made sense to him. When they had been fighting in the Digital world last time, things kept getting worse in their efforts against Lucemon until they finally defeated him and came home relatively safe and sound. They had thought they had defeated Lucemon for good, but he guessed they must have over looked something. Something that none of them had even considered at the time.

"Morning!" Zoe's voice called over to the two of them.

Tommy was jolted out of his thoughts and quickly spun to face the blonde.

"Morning Zoe," he stammered.

She was smiling, but it wasn't her usual bright smile. Tommy doubted that anyone would see that smile for a while. She looked distracted as she nervously looked at the ashes.

"There's nothing left of him Z," J.P.'s voice sighed somewhere to their left.

'_How long has he been there?_' Tommy wondered. He hadn't noticed J.P. hidden in the shadow of a nearby tree.

Zoe's smile faltered slightly, but came back a little stronger than before. She let out a sigh of relief.

"That's… good I suppose," she managed to say. "I was afraid that there'd be an arm or a… part of him that was still…"

"I know Z," J.P. nodded sagely. "Don't worry. There's nothing but ashes. Right Tommy?"

"Uh… yeah," Tommy nodded hesitantly.

He felt Jeri place a hand on his shoulder and smiled. She was really nice. Out of all the other DigiDestined from the other worlds, Jeri was his only friend so far outside the Warriors. Most would have thought that he'd get along with Cody because they were close in age, but that was not the case. Cody was one of the few who still didn't trust Koichi and, therefore, didn't want to be too close to someone who associated with him.

"Morning all," came Tai's loud call as he joined them, rousing some of the others who were still sleeping. Koichi and Koji were with him. "How's everyone this morning?"

"Fine," they chorused.

He smiled sympathetically as he took in the sight of the large mound of ashes that had once been their friend and leader. He pulled the pack off his back and dug inside it, searching for something. They all looked at him curiously, wondering what he'd show them. It took him a moment, but he finally pulled out five tiny little round orb jars, each one on a gold chain. He handed one to each of the remaining Warriors.

"Izzi packed these little jars in case he found something he wanted to analyze," Tai explained. "Digitamamon gave him way more than he needed though, so last night we decided that you five should have one and fill it with Takuya's ashes. That way a piece of him is always with you. I added the chain with some help from Mimi so that you could wear them around your necks. You don't have to use them like that though. It's just that, if it were any one of my friends, I'd want something to remember them by. …Even if it was a glass orb filled with their ashes."

Zoe's eyes clouded over at the sentiment and clutched the little chained orb in her hands. Koji and Koichi shared a glance while Tommy stared numbly at his. J.P. also stared at his glass orb jar, but was the first one to turn around and scoop up a little bit of ash from the center of the burnt out pyre, where the ashes would most likely be Takuya's and not from the pyre's wood. He put the stopper back on and hung the chain around his neck.

"Thank you Tai," he said, bowing slightly and allowed a small smile to spread across his features.

Tai returned the smile and returned to wake the others. Jeri decided that she'd better follow as well so that the Warriors could bid their lost friend one final goodbye.

Zoe was the next one to fill her orb with Takuya's ashes followed by Koji and Koichi. Tommy was still staring at his glass orb, wishing that it didn't have to be like this. He wished for the hundredth time within the past thirty-six hours that Takuya hadn't died. That Takuya was still with them and not a pile of ashes.

He finally unstoppered the glass orb jar in his hand and scooped up some of Takuya's ashes for himself. When he stuck the top back on firmly he looked inside. The ashes were flakey white and grey, and in some places appeared to swirl in the orb. They were still warm so the glass heated up a little. When Tommy closed his eyes, he could pretend that Takuya was still with him inside the jar, warm and alive instead of dead and cold. Even if he hadn't been the Warrior of Flame, Takuya had always been such a warm and lively person. He never felt cold to the touch even in icy cold weather and he shivered like any normal person. Maybe that was just because he was the Warrior of Ice, that Tommy thought that Takuya was always so warm.

Later that day, it was decided that they leave the forest and return to Sekizou City and the ruling lord, Byakkomon. When they arrived, the city was even livelier than it had been before. News had spread that the DigiDestined had defeated Aiyokumon and they were welcomed like heroes. None of them felt like heroes, but they allowed the crowds to greet them and accepted the city's citizens' thanks and praise as they were ushered to the palace situated in the center of the stone city. Digitamamon joined them half of the way there accompanied by his Gatsumon trio and Floramon.

"Is it true?" he asked, his yellow eyes wide. "Did you defeat her?"

Tai nodded, acting as spokesman for the DigiDestined once more.

"And your friend?" Digitamamon asked, in a more subdued tone.

"Dead," Tai managed to whisper hoarsely over the crowd so that only the egg Digimon could hear.

"I warned you," Digitamamon sighed. "No one ever escaped her clutches alive. The boy might as well have been dead when you got there."

Tai shook his head.

"It was Takuya who saved us in the end. _He_ killed Aiyokumon."

"Did he now?" Digitamamon asked, surprised. "Looks like that witch chose the wrong DigiDestined to possess. I take it she underestimated him?"

"From what I've gathered," Tai nodded.

"You mean you don't know?" Digitamamon asked, exasperated.

"Only Koji would know," Tai stated sadly. "And I doubt even he knows the full extent of his friend's condition at the time or what degree of mental captivity Takuya was really bound in. But I think it's safe to say the Zaigou of Lust underestimated Takuya. She'd be alive if she hadn't and we'd all be dead."

Digitamamon took in what the DigiDestined of Courage had told him. It was quiet between the two of them for a moment before either spoke again.

"You lot will have ten percent discounts when you buy from my store," Digitamamon said gruffly in order to change the depressing subject. "For every Zaigou you kids defeat I'll add another ten percent to the discount."

Tai smiled.

"So at the end of this insane quest, we should have an eighty percent discount at your store?" he laughed.

"Everything will be free if you can defeat Kushyamon himself," Digitamamon nodded, all business. "With in reason of course. Any practical supplies like the ones you asked for before will be free, but luxury items will cost half price. I have a business to run after all."

Tai grinned, but inside he only hoped that the price for defeating the rest of the Zaigou wouldn't be the life of another DigiDestined. He wasn't sure the group could take so much loss.

They finally reached Sekizou City's great palace and were led into a grand audience chamber that could only be the throne room with a large and elaborately engraved high-backed chair at the end of the room. A young man who looked like he was only a few years older then Joe entered the room in regal robes of purple and green. Four Knightmon accompanied him.

"My Lord Byakkomon," Digitamamon said reverently, bowing as low as his shell allowed him. The Gatsumon and Floramon did the same. Some of the DigiDestined gawked at the lord's apparent youth and human appearance, but they all bowed as well.

"Raise," the human looking Digimon smiled. "Digitamamon, you have done well. You may leave with your companions while I speak to the DigiDestined. I have heard that they have been through a great deal. Aiyokumon was no push over."

They all rose from their bows and once Digitamamon, Floramon and the Gatsumon left the room, Tai noticed how the Knightmon appeared to have melted into the shadows, leaving the DigiDestined relatively alone with the young lord.

"Who speaks for you?" Byakkomon asked.

Tai took one step forward to separate himself slightly from the others.

"I do," he said with an authority that no one dared to argue with.

The Digimon Lord of the West looked over Tai as he rose from his throne. He came down to stand before the appointed DigiDestined leader and began to circle him as if to examine his worth. The other DigiDestined watched the proceedings nervously. Tai appeared relaxed, as if being inspected in such a way was normal to him. This was not the first time his calm surprised the others. He had been just as calm while having tea with Aiyokumon before the battle two nights previously.

"You must be the DigiDestined of Courage from Gennai's world," he mused finally, smiling at Tai. "You're not exactly as he described to me. He told me you were rather rash and impulsive for a leader."

Tai chuckled, trying to hide his surprise that Byakkomon knew Gennai.

"Well with age comes change," Tai grinned, trying to match the young lord's cool demeanor.

Byakkomon nodded. "That is certainly true. The world is ever changing, especially the Digital World."

He looked over the rest of the DigiDestined with a single glance and frowned.

"I see that the rumors are unfortunately true," he sighed, returning to his throne. "You have lost your Warrior of Flame. That is indeed a grave loss. Fire is a powerful element and ally. How did he die?"

Tai told the Digimon Lord of the West what had happened with the Zaigou of Lust from the beginning starting with the tea party to Takuya's final sacrifice that ultimately ended Aiyokumon. Byakkomon listened intently, taking in everything and missed not even the tiniest detail given. When Tai was finished the entire room was quiet.

"You have suffered greatly," Byakkomon said finally. "My humblest grievances to the fallen warrior and his companions. Now I know why Kushyamon wanted him so badly. It was as Ophanimon had feared."

The Warrior DigiDestined's ears perked at the familiar name.

"I beg your pardon?" Tai inquired politely.

The young lord looked down from his throne at Tai.

"You said that Takuya was inflicted with a lung cancer?"

"Yes," Tai replied slowly, wondering where this was going.

"Ophanimon, Seraphimon, and Cherubimon had contacted me not too long ago, before any of you arrived in this Digital World. They voiced a concern that has been plaguing them for some time. You see, after the Legendary Warriors defeated Lucemon, they assumed that he was destroyed for good this time and his data had been purified to be reborn again. Only Lucemon was never reborn, as he should have been. Not even in a different Digital world."

"Wait, is that possible?" Tai asked.

"For a Digimon to be reborn in a different Digital world?" Byakkomon asked. "Yes. Just ask your friend."

Out of the shadows came a lion Digimon standing upright like a man, wearing pants and a sword at his hip.

"Leomon!" all but the Warrior's group exclaimed.

The newcomer smiled and gave a slight bow in their direction.

"It's good to see you all again," he said in a low rumbling voice.

"Why don't you rejoin your Tamer Leomon?" Byakkomon suggested. "I'm sure she has missed you greatly."

"I shall," Leomon bowed. "My greatest thanks, my lord, for reuniting me with her."

With that said, Leomon crossed over the large space and stood next to Jeri who looked like she was going to cry at any moment.

"Leomon was your Digimon partner?" Sora asked Jeri incredulously.

"He _is_," Jeri emphasized. "Oh Sora! You were right!"

"About what?" the red head asked, confused.

"Remember when we were in that awful desert cavern?" Jeri asked. "You told me that I'd be sure to meet my partner again someday, and you were right!"

She flung her arms around Leomon's mane and cried silently. Her partner patted her back and gently set her down.

"It's been a long journey," he smiled at her fondly. "I found myself reborn in another world different from the one I knew. It was there that I learned of the legend of the DigiDestined and had been hoping one of the them would turn out to be you, but instead I found these seven." He gestured to Tai and the other seven original DigiDestined.

"So you _are_ the Leomon we knew," Mimi cried. "I'm so sorry Leomon. If I had just stayed out of the way you wouldn't have-"

"It is alright Mimi," Leomon chuckled. "I was glad to give my life once more to save the DigiDestined. And if I had not died, I would not have been reconfigured in this Digital World and be able to reunite with you all."

"But how is it possible for you to die in one world and then get reconfigured in another?" Izzi asked.

"I was getting to that," Byakkomon stated, drawing attention back to his story. "There are very special circumstances in which a Digimon's data slips out of it's original world, is than transmitted, and later reconfigured in a different Digital world. When he died the first time, Leomon was reconfigured in a different world due to the instability of the Digital world he was currently in. When Guilmon digivolved into Megidramon he nearly tore the Digital world apart, creating cracks in the Digital world's barrier shortly after Leomon died. It was during that lapse of worldly stability that Leomon's data slipped through the cracks and ended up in Gennai's Digital world. Shortly after he died again, the Dark Masters had taken over and warped that world. Many other Digimon slipped through the cracks formed in that world's barrier with Leomon and came here. Why do you think Gennai needed you original eight to give up your crests? It was to provide not only better protection for that Digital world, but for its barrier's stability as well. Getting back to what was originally Ophanimon's concern, Lucemon hadn't been reborn even though he was destroyed in that major battle with the Legendary Warriors. The instability of their Digital world would have provided the perfect conditions for Lucemon's core data to slip through and be reborn someplace else, so they reached out to many of us higher plain Digimon from all the Digital worlds, but none of us found any trace of the Lucemon they sought."

"Alright," Tai said nodding, trying to keep up with what he was being told. "So Lucemon didn't reconfigure his data in any of the existing Digital worlds. What conclusion did Ophanimon come to?"

"Ah," Byakkomon sighed. "Once it had become apparent that Lucemon had yet to be reborn in any world, Ophanimon, Seraphimon and Cherubimon began developing alternative theories and eventually came the only plausible conclusion. That Lucemon hadn't been destroyed as completely as they'd thought and had somehow managed to hide a piece of himself somewhere before he was destroyed."

Before Tai could ask any further questions Byakkomon snapped his fingers and the banner behind him moved aside to reveal a viewing screen.

"Gennai was kind enough to supply Ophanimon with this footage from her world of what was supposed to be Lucemon's final moments, which she later sent to me. How he found this I have no idea, but if you watch carefully you will see that this footage supports their theory."

The image of Susanoomon, the mega form of all ten Legendary Warrior spirits combined, was hovering a short distance away from a terrible looking purple dragon Digimon holding a dark orb in it's clawed hands. All the Warriors except for Koichi were having déjà vu as the images began to move and sounds and their voices echoed around them as if they were in a movie theatre, saying things that they had said long ago.

"_What are we gonna do?"_ Zoe's voice asked.

"_If we don't do something quick, we'll be destroyed too," _Tommy's voice added.

"_But what can we do against that attack?" _They heard J.P. counter.

"_Wait! I know," _Takuya's voice exclaimed.

The sound of Takuya's voice made his friend's hearts heavy.

"_What?" _the other four asked him in unison.

"_You have to trust me guys,"_ he stated._ "We're going inside."_

Susanoomon's visor came down and then he took off towards the dragon. It took a swing at him, but Susanoomon kept on coming, plunging right into it's chest.

"_We made it,"_ came the collective relieved sigh from Susanoomon as he pressed through the dark interior of the dragon.

"_For all the good it's going to do you," _a soft child-like voice hissed. _"Nothing can stop my utopia now!"_

The screen zoomed out to reveal a chrysalis worm looking thing with a ring around it's pointed tail and wings sprouting from it's back. Lucemon.

"_You're nothing but a tyrant who's too weak to accept that he might be wrong!" _Susanoomon cried. _"We will stop you!"_

"_Powerful words," _Lucemon hissed._ "Let's see if you have the power to back them up!"_

The ring around it's tail began to glow red.

"_Lets do it!" _Susanoomon agreed grimly.

"_Stand tough guys!" _Takuya's voice called out on its own_._

"_Right!"_ the others agreed.

Lucemon hissed and a hail of light spears erupted from the glowing ring, raining down on the mega.

Susanoomon took a few in the chest before balling up a little.

"_He's not as strong as he thinks he is," _he grunted before launching at the evil Digimon.

"_No!"_ Lucemon screeched as Susanoomon gained ground, nearing him every second. _Impossible!"_

"_Impossible is our specialty,"_ Susanoomon retorted as he soared even closer to his enemy.

Lucemon let out an enraged hiss, blasting a direct hit at the mega, but Susanoomon kept coming.

"_You'll need more than that!" _Susanoomon cried.

"_NOOO!" _Lucemon screeched one last time. _"I cannot be defeated by a human!"_

"_Guess again!" _came the reply as Susanoomon smashed his fist into Lucemon's forehead, nearly splitting him in half.

The purple orb broke and the dragon let out a wail. The images and sound stopped there. The DigiDestined knew that there was more to the fight, but Byakkomon rewound the footage to the point were Susanoomon's fist came in contact with Lucemon's forehead.

"Watch carefully," he instructed.

When he replayed the footage it progressed in slow motion as Lucemon's body began to split. The image froze suddenly and only a few of them could see the immediate significance of what they saw. Susanoomon had his fist full into Lucemon's split head, but Lucemon had a feeler inserted in Susanoomon's chest. It had happened so fast that no one had noticed it when it ran at normal speed.

"Ophanimon believes that Lucemon injected a part of himself into Susanoomon so that a part of him lived on if he was actually defeated. Takuya just had the misfortune to be the one to absorb the hit. It is my belief that because Takuya had Lucemon inside of him Crusademon was ordered to abduct him. He must have wanted Lucemon for something."

Tai nodded.

"So what are the Zaigou going to do now that they don't have Lucemon?" he asked.

"That, Tai, is what you need to find out," Byakkomon said grimly. "Unfortunately the only one who could tell us is dead. Takuya lived with Lucemon inside of him for months and had been under Aiyokumon's control for at least a day. He must have learned something about Kushyamon's plans. But it doesn't do well to dwell on spilled milk as they say. What's done is done."

"So what do you believe should be our next move?" Tai inquired.

Byakkomon looked at Tai for a long moment.

"What do you think you should do?" he asked.

Tai remained quiet himself for a moment before speaking, selecting his words carefully.

"We are in no condition to face anymore of the Zaigou at this present moment, but they are sure to know that Aiyokumon is dead. Crusademon was nowhere to be found after he brought us there, so I'm pretty sure he's informed the next Zaigou in line of the situation. We've made our presence known in this city so it'd be unwise for us to remain here any longer than necessary. It'd only put you and your people at risk. We'll leave as soon as possible."

Byakkomon nodded.

"You make many fair points. But what do you intend to do once you leave this city's limits?"

"What we've always done," Tai answered simply. "We'll rough it. Digitamamon has provided us with more than enough supplies. The only problem will be fighting the Zaigou off once they do find us. In this digital world certain terrain provides certain elemental advantages to specific types of Digimon and weakens others. That can be troublesome when it comes to overwhelming combat conditions despite our numbers."

"So you've figured out that much already," Byakkomon smiled.

"Izzi did actually," Tai admitted.

The Lord of the West nodded.

"You and your own group of DigiDestined are in a pickle of your own, aren't you?" he asked. "None of your Digimon have the ability to Digivolve to their ultimate levels."

Tai shook his head.

Byakkomon rose from his throne again, deep in thought.

"I cannot ask Gennai to return your crests to you," he sighed, "but I know of another way to unleash a greater elemental power. Your friend was right about the elemental advantages in this world, but there is always a way to bend the rules."

He pulled a metallic medallion from around his neck and held it out in the palm of his hand. On it was an etching of a tiger with a blade between it's fangs.

"This is the medallion of the West. It grants me the ability to fight at full power no matter what elemental advantage a terrain provides, whether it's to my own or my enemies advantage. In the hands of one of you chosen children it will grant the others who share the same elemental trait as the holder. It will grant you all the ability to allow your Digimon partners to Digivolve to their highest level. However, it is only effective in the hands of a warrior."

He looked significantly at the five possessors of the Legendary Warrior's spirits.

"All four of the lords in this realm hold a medallion of this kind. Gather them all and you should have the upper hand against the Zaigou. Especially the higher ups, closest to Kushyamon. It is a pity that Takuya, your Warrior of Flame, is no longer with us," he said grimly. "He would have been the ideal candidate for Lord Suzakumon, to give his medallion to. We four lords knew that this day would come when we'd have to give these medallions to the chosen ones. There is a prophecy, but I'm afraid I do not know it's finer details. Lord Genbumon can tell it to you when you reach his kingdom to retrieve his medallion. His realm is the closest one to this city."

"What does this prophecy say?" Tai asked.

"Oh the usual," Byakkomon shrugged. "A great evil will come upon this land and a great good will rise up to bring hope to the people, yada, yada, yada. That sort of thing."

Tai couldn't help but smile at the young lord's careless attitude toward the whole thing.

"So we go around collecting these medallions and then go pick a fight with the Zaigou?" he asked sarcastically.

"Essentially yes," Byakkomon sighed. "But never go picking a fight with the Zaigou. Let them come to you. It's easier to make mistakes when you're part of the assault instead of the defense."

He approached the DigiDestined one more time before stopping just in front of J.P. Their eyes locked and they looked at each other for a long time. Byakkomon broke the contact after a couple minutes and J.P. shuddered, shaking his head as if to clear it.

"Warrior of Thunder," Byakkomon said grimly, getting J.P.'s attention again. "I find you a worthy candidate and charge you with the care and the power of this medallion. May you lead your friends strongly into battle, and safely out of harms way."

He placed the medallion in J.P.'s trembling hands.

"With this in your possession," Byakkomon explained, "all bug and electric type Digimon will have the power to Digivolve to their highest level and give you an advantage in any type of battle field, but you'll always be at your strongest in any sort of clearing."

J.P. bowed to Byakkomon and slipped the medallion around his neck next to the glass orb that contained some of Takuya's ashes.

* * *

Wow. J.P.'s gained some important responsibilities. Can he raise to the occasion? Or did Byakkomon choose the wrong warrior to entrust his medallion with? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

So what'd ya think? Finally a method forming for the madness. I know where I wanna go with this story, but the means of getting there are still a bit sketchy. I promise that I'll put up the next chapter as soon as I work it out and hopefully a major case of writers block won't strike. I've been afflicted with minor cases during these last couple chapters, but hopefully that's over with. For this chapter I did watch the last episode of Frontier in so the dialogue is 100% accurate. I watched it so I see if Lucemon was ever in contact with Susanoomon so that the way Lucemon got into Takuya's body and became a cancer would work. Thank goodness there WAS a moment and if there hadn't, my story would have been screwed and I would have had to get really creative. Please let me know if anything was unclear and I will do my best to clear it up. Please send me a review. any criticism is welcome and i love (and admittedly addicted) to hear from you.


	15. Kushyamon's Plot

Finally right? Here's chapter 15. Sorry for the wait, but it is the holiday season and I've been gift shopping and baking and all sorts of things like that, so let's make this my holiday gift to you all since I doubt I'll get the next chapter up before then. This chapter is mainly in J.P.'s POV, but we get to meet the big baddy himself and hear a little bit from Willace's perspective. We also see a little bit of a language barrier as japanese digidestined interact with our two american digidestined. **_any english dialogue is in bold and italics_**. I hope you enjoy this chapter!

DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS.

* * *

Chapter 15: Kushyamon's Plot

The Digital World Location: Kushyamon's Lair

The great dark fortress stood tall and intimidating, casting shadows over all the nearby Digimon villages. The Dark Lord Kushyamon stared out lazily over his domain. He was a human looking Digimon like the Lords of the North, South, East and West. He was young in appearance like Byakkomon, but not as handsome. He had pasty pale skin that was almost milk white. His long greasy black hair was pulled back in a loose ponytail out of his face and revealing his inhumanly hard and angular chiseled features. His eyes were as black as coals and his mouth was a grim slash.

Crusademon appeared behind him, kneeling.

"My lord," the Digimon said in his monotone voice. "Lady Aiyokumon was defeated by the DigiDestined."

"I am awear of that. And the boy?" Kushyamon rasped, his voice high in pitch, but deep in tone. It sounded as if many voices of various tones were speaking in unison.

Crusademon had to suppress a shiver.

"He too perished, my lord," he answered, bracing himself for the coming rage.

The Dark Lord hissed and Crusademon could not help but flinch. The dark knight hadn't known fear until he'd met Lord Kushyamon, and it was the Dark Lord's anger that frightened him the most.

"I see," Kushyamon growled. "That halts my plans for a short time. You say the boy had perished. What of the cargo he was unwittingly harboring?"

"Regrettably destroyed, my lord," Crusademon answered. "The Warrior of Light purified the data of Lucemon with his blade of light. The Dark Angle Digimon is no more."

Kushyamon snarled. He had needed Lucemon's dark energy, but it was no use getting too upset over purified data. He still had the _other_ dark lords from the world where that trash of data known as Gennai resided, but Lucemon had been by far the most powerful.

"How did they boy die?" he asked.

"He was pierced through the chest by the Warrior of Light's blade and then he later impaled himself on Lady Aiyokumon's sword in order to save the warrior from her wrath," Crusademon bowed. "The DigiDestined cremated his body. There is nothing left. I checked the ashes myself."

Kushyamon's mouth was turned into a severe downward slash.

"How unfortunate. His corpse would have made for an entertaining puppet. Arukenimon!" he barked.

The spider woman appeared from the shadows.

"Yes my lord?" she inquired in her silky voice.

"You've just returned from watching the brats haven't you? What are the DigiDestined up to now?" he demanded.

"They had an audience with Lord Byakkomon," she answered promptly. "I couldn't follow them in due to the Lord of the West's high security, but I over heard something about a medallion. The Warrior of Lightening is in possession of it."

"The medallion of the West," Kushyamon growled. "Byakkomon has made his move and sent the DigiDestined on a ridiculous mission to fulfill that prophecy."

He suddenly smiled, revealing his pointed teeth and let out a loud, spine-chilling laugh. "Fine then! Let them try! They have no hope of fulfilling such a ridiculous prophesy without their precious Warrior of Flame. It might as well be a fairytale. There was nothing left of him right, Crusademon?"

"Yes my lord," Crusademon vowed. "There was nothing left but ashes.

Kushyamon cackled maliciously.

"Call the remaining Zaigou," he ordered. "There are alterations to our plans to be made."

Crusademon and Arukenimon bowed and left swiftly to follow his orders.

Kushyamon remained were he was and stared out in the direction of Lord Byakkomon's realm, with a smiled pulling over his fanged teeth. It was time to make his first move against the so-called 'chosen saviors' of this forsaken world.

* * *

The Digital World Location: The Northern Section of Sekizou Forest

J.P. was staring at the medallion Byakkomon had given him for what seemed like the hundredth time. He couldn't believe that he had been entrusted with such a great responsibility. He had an even harder time believing that this little trinket could amplify his warrior spirit's powers as well as the Digmon that shared the same properties he did. He had always been the skeptical one in his group, but someone had to question their actions. Just because Takuya and Koji were his group's leaders, didn't mean that J.P. didn't feel any sort of responsibility as the oldest member of their group. In some ways he felt that he should be the leader, but he knew that it wasn't age that made a leader. It was communication and people skills, and J.P. just wasn't as strong in those areas as Koji was or Takuya had once been.

He was quiet as they all followed Tai and Izzi through the dense forest toward the northern realm of water and ice. Everyone was chatting in one of four groups, but he positioned himself alone at the back watching out for his friends. Zoe was with Sora, Rika, Mimi and Yolei giggling about something, Tommy was talking with Jeri, Mako, Ai, Suzie, Kenta, Kazu and Takato, while Koji remained up front talking to Tai, Matt, Joe, Henry and Izzi with Koichi tagging behind with Ryo, Davis, Ken, Kari, Cody and T.K. J.P. couldn't help but find it ironic seeing Kari talking cheerfully with the Dark Warrior. Koichi had befriended the DigiDestined of Light rather quickly after their little 'misunderstanding' that had taken place only a few nights ago. He noticed that her boyfriend didn't seem to like this though so J.P. had decided to keep an eye on the blond boy wearing the tan fisherman's hat.

J.P. couldn't hold back a sigh. That's all he ever seemed to do. Keep an eye on things. Out of all the Warriors he felt like he was the most unimportant and useless member of the team. Zoe was the only girl in their group and had no problem making her opinion heard getting right into the thick of things. Tommy was the kid of the group and everyone felt the need to look after him like a kid brother and make sure he was all right. Koji had been the gang's co-leader alongside Takuya and was now their most powerful fighter. Koichi was always looked after by his twin and everyone looked out for his well being due to his past slip into the 'dark side,' as Takuya had once joked after watching way too much Star Wars. All J.P. had been able to do was go along with Takuya and Koji's plans and provide the comic relief.

No one had really noticed him anymore once they had finished their first adventure in a Digital world except for Takuya, but he was dead now and ever since his death J.P. felt himself melt back into the shadows. No one noticed him much anymore and when they did, they seemed surprised to see him. Tommy had confirmed this worrying theory of his that very morning when he hadn't noticed J.P. join him by the pyre's ashes until he'd spoken. Gaining the medallion hadn't really changed anything either. But being practically invisible had its advantages. No one really bothered him and it gave him the advantage of being able to observe the other DigiDestined from the Tamers and Adventurers groups.

He was observing two boys in particular at the moment. They were part of Tai's group, both blue-eyed blonds, but they didn't appear to be related like Matt and T.K. were. They hadn't joined any of the clustered groups ahead of them, sticking to the rear like he was, absorbed in their own conversation. He hadn't really noticed them before since they seemed to prefer keeping to themselves, but what had caught his attention now was the fact that they were currently speaking in a foreign language he recognized as English. He came to the conclusion that they were American from the look of them and the sound of their accent. He was grateful that he was one quarter American on his mother's side and had felt the need to learn the language in order to converse well with his English-speaking grandparents. J.P. tried to remember the two American's names while he listened in on their conversation, surprised that it wasn't idle chatter.

"_**I wonder what we're going to do after we gather the other three medallions**_," the blond with the Betamon mused.

"**_Probably try to take down whatever members of the Zaigou we haven't run into and have defeated by then_**," the other sighed. "**_I doubt that the enemy will leave us alone until we get them all. Who knows how long it will take? I bet that they're gathering their forces as we speak._**"

"_**Aren't you the positive one, Willy**_?" his companion joked.

J.P. finally remembered. The one with the twin Digimon was called Willace. Once he remembered his name, he recalled that the other boy was Michael. He felt a little ridiculous for forgetting Michael's name since the two had only been introduced a million times in the strange caves. He thought it was a little odd that all the DigiDestined were all native Japanese speakers except for those two. They were just as invisible to the others as he now was. Maybe you just had to be invisible to notice the invisible.

"**_Try thinking on the positive side for once_**," Michael continued. "**_I know we don't have much going for us, but Tai seems like a very capable leader. And we have one medallion already!_**"

Willace nodded.

"_**Relax Willace**_," his Terriermon smiled.

"_**Michael is right**_," it's twin, Lopmon, agreed. "_**We have to believe that we can make it through this and find a way to return home.**_"

"_**It's not that**_," Willace sighed. "I_**'m just afraid of who else we might loose along the way. I didn't know that Takuya guy, but it hurt to lose him. Do you get what I'm saying? It hurt to lose someone we didn't even know that well, so what's going to happen when we lose someone we **_**do**_** know? What if it's Davis next? Or Mimi? Will we be able to keep it together? I don't know how the Warriors group can move on so easily.**_"

J.P. decided that it was time to enter the conversation and make his presence known. He had begun to feel a connection to the two boys because he shared many of the same concerns, but he didn't want them to misunderstand him or the other Warrior DigiDestined.

"**_It is not that we have moved on_**," J.P. said slowly, making sure what he said made sense. It had been a while since he had spoken English, but it was quickly coming back to him. "_**We are all just trying to… cope in our own way.**_"

Willace and Michael were startled. Not because J.P. had joined them, (they had noticed him listening in for the last couple minutes) but because they hadn't expected him to know English that well.

"**_You speak English_**?" Michael gasped.

"_**Sorry**_," J.P. laughed. "_**I didn't mean to upset you**_."

"_**No!**_" Willace quickly assured him. "_**I just hope we didn't say anything that upset **_**you**_**.**_"

"_**Yeah**_," Michael agreed. "_**It's not like we're speaking English because we don't want to be over heard. It's just easier for us. We didn't know that anyone other than Mimi knew English.**_"

"We can speak in Japanese if you'd like," Willace suggested, quickly switching languages.

J.P. shook his head.

"_**I'm good**_," he shrugged. "_**Speaking in English doesn't bother me**_."

"_**You do appear to be fluent**_," Michael smiled. "_**You speak our language a lot better than we can speak yours!**_"

Willace laughed, agreeing whole-heartedly. It was hard keeping up with all the Japanese lately, and it gave them a headache trying to stay focused on understanding what was being said all day long. That was why the two Americans had bonded and became close. They didn't have to speak a different language to understand each other. It excited them that, aside from Mimi, another DigiDestined knew English. It was true that some of the others, like Izzi, Yolei and Rika, knew basic English, but not enough to hold a long-standing conversation. They asked him how he learned English, and he explained about his grandparents. They later explained that they were actually part of an American DigiDestined group and not the Japanese team.

"_**So you guys aren't really part of Tai's group?**_" J.P. asked.

"_**No**_," Michael shook his head. "_**I'm a friend of Mimi's from New York. Before coming to Japan I'd only met Davis twice. Once in the real world, but the first time was with Yolei, Cody, T.K. and Kari at a diner in the Digital world. I'd heard of the others through them.**_"

"_**I didn't know **_**any**_** of the older original DigiDestined**_," Willace sighed. "_**Back when I was living in Colorado, Kokomon – who's Lopmon now – had been infected with a virus and suddenly disappeared. I moved to New York a few years later and he found me again, but was corrupted. He fought with Terriermon and that's what attracted T.K. and Kari's attention to me. I saw them for the first time from the other side of a chain link fence, but I ran away from them. Kokomon had told me to go back to the beginning so I went back to Colorado, warning T.K. and Kari not to follow me. I ended up hitchhiking once I ran out of money for transportation and that's how I met Davis, Yolei and Cody who were also hitchhiking. T.K. and Kari had called them over to the states to meet up with them because Kari had thought that I needed help, which I did. I didn't know that anyone else had or even knew about Digimon before I met them. I was so used to taking care of things on my own and consequently never have been part of a team before. They helped me save Kokomon, but he… died in the end.**_"

"_**But I came back to you Willace**_," Lopmon smiled.

Willace smiled back, patting both of his Digimon's heads.

"_**Yes you did**_," he smiled sadly, and then looked back to J.P. "I_** also heard about the others from Davis, but it wasn't until a few hours before ending up here that I'd met any of them. Davis had invited me to Japan for their DigiDestined anniversary so I'd bought a plane ticket, but I don't know how Mimi knew who I was since we'd never met.**_"

Michael laughed.

"_**Mimi's got her sources**_," he smiled. "_**Even I knew about you from her, but of course I got my information second hand.**_"

"_**Wait**_," J.P. frowned. "_**Y****ou mean you two didn't know each other even though you live in the same area?**_"

"_**Nope**_," Willace shook his head, a rueful smile gracing his features. "_**We live in different areas of the state of New York, not in the actual city that you might be thinking of. I met Michael at the airport just before we boarded, but neither of us knew the other was a DigiDestined until Mimi showed up and recognized me somehow.**_"

"_**Kari must have taken pictures your adventure**_," Michael shrugged. "_**S****he could have shown them to Mimi and that's how she recognized you**_."

Willace shrugged.

"_**It's possible**_," J.P. grinned, noticing the camera hanging around the girl's neck even as they spoke.

"_**Say J.P.**_," Michael said, catching the big boy's attention. "_**Do you mind if I ask you something?**_"

J.P. shook his head.

"_**Before Lord Byakkomon gave you that medallion**_," the American started slowly, "_**what was that look about? The look you guys shared before he 'found you a worthy candidate?'**_"

J.P. shivered involuntarily.

"_**Sorry**_," he muttered. "_**It was really strange. When he looked into my eyes it was like he could see right through me. It kinda felt like he was rummaging around in my head looking for something. I was reliving some rather random memories at the time too, like he was pulling them up to view for himself. Like he was trying to find out what kind of person I was. It felt as if he was doing it for hours even though I knew it was only for a minute or two.**_"

Willace and Michael traded uneasy glances, not liking the idea of having someone roaming around in their minds.

"_**But I suppose I satisfied him**_," J.P. let out a shaky laugh. "**_He said so himself before giving me the medallion._**"

The three boys and their Digimon eagerly moved the conversation in a different direction to how Willace could tell his Terriermon and Lopmon apart from Henry and Suzie's.

"_**Simple**_," Lopmon giggled. "_**Suzie's Lopmon is a girl and I'm a boy**_."

"_**And I don't go around saying 'Momentai' like that Terriermon does. What does that word mean anyway?**_" Terriermon huffed.

"_**Something like Hakunamatata I'm sure**_," Michael shrugged.

"_**Hakunama-wah**_?" J.P. snorted.

"_**Hakunamatata,**_" Willace chuckled. "_**Haven't you ever seen the Lion King?**_"

"_**Once**_," J.P. said, putting on his exaggerated thoughtful face. "_**When I was five I believe. It had some catchy songs in it.**_"

It was then that Willace and Michael, accompanied by their Digimon, decided to breakout into a soft chorus of 'Hakunamatata.' J.P. even jumped in once the words came back to him. It earned them a few looks from some of the others nearby, but that just made it even funnier and they cracked up into silent hysterical fits of laughter.

That night when they settled down, the trio bedded down together. Mimi had come over earlier to chat for a little while, but had rejoined the girls around the fire for dinner. J.P. kept them all entertained with his simple magic tricks and Terriermon and Lopmon told jokes. Betamon was a silent Digimon, but he told a joke or two whenever Terriermon and Lopmon had to stop and think of another round of jokes. Their new companionship didn't go unnoticed.

Koichi had left his twin and the others for a while and joined them. They greeted him warmly, but had to revert back to Japanese for conversation since Koichi didn't speak any English.

"So what brings you out here?" J.P. joked, gesturing to how separated from the main group they seemed to be.

"It was getting rather crowded," Koichi sighed.

"Ah, I forgot," J.P. grinned. "You're not a crowd person. Got a little claustrophobic did you?"

"Something like that," Koichi grinned back sheepishly.

"Well welcome to our small band of misfits!" Michael joked. "Maybe we should start making T-shirts."

Betamon rolled his eyes, smiling to himself. Willace even cracked a smile at the bad joke while his twin Digimon snickered. But they certainly were the misfits of the large group. It was inevitable that there would be a few in this large collection of groups. Michael and Willace were considered misfits due to their different nationality. J.P. was just simply the odd man out of his group now. Koichi was technically still on the outs with some of the other DigiDestined due to his warrior's element, but he was a misfit by nature and preference, preferring smaller closely-knit groups than large expansive ones. The four bonded well that night and amused themselves by trying to teach Koichi English. He was amazingly a quick learner and knew how to say some basic things by the time they decided to get some sleep. Michael, Willace and J.P. were surprised that Koichi slept with their group instead of rejoining Koji, as was the quiet boy's habit, but didn't make a fuss since they had become such good friends.

J.P. was part of the final watch shift for the night so he left them an hour before daybreak to relieve Zoe. Willace was the next one to wake up that morning and watched the sleeping forms of his remaining companions as he letting his thoughts wander over these new friends. He'd liked Michael ever since they'd met, but he was glad that he now had someone else to talk to. J.P. was certainly an interesting fellow though. Willace liked the boy's subtle and implied humor. J.P. had a surprising amount of knowledge about all sorts of trivial things and turned out to be quiet the conversationalist. He hadn't noticed any of these things about the rather large boy before now due to his backseat placement in the Warriors group. The same could be said about Koichi. Both Warriors had seems like such quiet persons, but last night they had been full of comments and engaging conversation. Even if Koichi really was quiet by nature, he still talked more that night than Willace had heard him speak throughout their entire adventure so far.

"_**Whatcha thinkin' about Willace?**_" Terriermon asked him.

Willace looked down at his faithful Digimon partner and smiled.

"_**I was just thinking about how nice it is to be around friends," he said simply. "For the longest time it's just been the three of us. You, me and Lopmon**_."

"**_Yeah_**," the Digimon nodded. "_**I personally like J.P. He's pretty fun and knows about the strangest things!**_"

Willace chuckled.

"_**That's just what I was thinking**_," he whispered.

Lopmon was beginning to rouse next to his twin, snuggling into Willace's side in response. Willace stroked Lopmon's forehead around the sensitive spots at the base of the three horns, making the brown and pink Digimon giggle. Terriermon decided that he too wanted some attention and positioned himself near Willace's free hand to be stroked. The human partner complied with a sigh. Having twin Digimon meant having to treat both the same, never favoring one over the other. Sometimes it was a bit of a hassle, but he usually managed. He was glad he had both of them.

"_**Good… morning**_," Koichi's voice mumbled.

Willace looked up from his two partners and saw the boy rub his eyes tiredly.

"_**Not a morning person, huh?**_" Willace chuckled.

Koichi gave him a blank stare and he realized that he'd automatically responded in English.

"Sorry," Willace laughed. "Good morning."

"Good morning," Koichi mumbled again, this time in Japanese. "What did you say in English just now?"

"Ah," Willace smiled. "I said 'not a morning person, huh?' Sorry. You greeted me in English. I forgot that you didn't peak it much."

Koichi chuckled, shaking his head.

"No, I'm not much of a morning person. I'm glad that I remembered how to say _**good morning**_, but you lost me when you responded in English as well. I only caught the word _**morning**_ and that was it."

Willace rose from his spot and helped Koichi up as well, the boy still looking a little tired. They started to head deeper into the camp.

"Should we go save J.P. from early morning guard duty?" Willace wondered aloud.

"Not without me you will not," they heard Michael grumble, joining them from behind.

"Willace!" Terriermon called, dragging his sleepy twin brother behind him. "Don't leave without us!"

"Wait for me!" Betamon called out, scrambling after Michael.

Kochi and Willace chuckled as they paused, waiting for the stragglers. When they reached J.P. he was leaning against a tree, eyes shut.

"_**Sleeping on the job?**_" Michael called out teasingly.

Willace muttered the translation to Koichi.

J.P. opened one eye and grunted.

"It's called resting. Besides, I was trying to get in tune with my warrior spirit while still in human form," J.P. explained. "Takuya used to claim that he could to it, but I'm not sure how he managed. Not even Koji can do it."

"Then why are you trying?" Michael asked.

Willace noticed that Koichi looked like he already understood why J.P. was doing it.

"I don't know," K.P. muttered. "I have been trying this even before Takuya passed away, but recently I guess I figured that if I could talk to the spirit of Beetlemon, then maybe he could tell me more about Agunimon and how he and the Legendary Warriors' managed to live on as spirits even after they died. Maybe find out if Takuya turned into a spirit, as unlikely as that sounds."

J.P. looked up at the clear sky, his hand wandering unconsciously to the medallion hanging around his neck. When he touched it he felt a spark. He yanked away his hand out of surprise, letting it sway across his chest.

"J.P.?" Koichi spoke out, concerned.

J.P. ignored him, carefully picking up the medallion again. An electric current seemed to flow down his arm and into his body.

'_He's coming,_' Beetlemon's voice echoed in his head.

J.P. was no longer with his friends and their Digimon. He was soaring over the treetops of the forest in an eastern direction to where it met the central plains. He spotted a blur heading speedily towards him, pausing for a moment before entering the forest. His Digimon spiritual instincts told him it was another Digimon, a powerful one with a human form much like Aiyokumon, making his another Zaigou, only this one was male in appearance. He looked down right angry, his all too handsome features contorted with rage. It didn't take a genius to figure out he represented 'wrath.'

J.P. was suddenly back at the campsite, panting. Willace and Michael were calling out to him, one on either side, and Koichi stood directly in front of him. The other DigiDestined had awoken and were alerted to their frantic calls and hurried over to see what was wrong. J.P. didn't bother with words. He gently pushed Michael and Willace away and Koichi automatically took a couple steps back. He pulled out his D-Tector and quickly spirit evolved into Beetlemon. This alarmed everyone.

"J.P., what the hell!" Zoe yelled at him.

"Wrath is coming," was all he said in response, angling his body toward the east.

Koichi didn't question him, quickly spirit evolving himself into Löwemon. Koji, Zoe, and Tommy reluctantly did the same. Izzi was the one to understand the significance of what J.P. said before anyone else did.

"Another one of the Zaigou is coming," he cried out. "Tentomon, you've got to Digivolve!"

The Digimon was quick to follow his partner's order.

"Tentomon Digivolve to!" he cried as he became engulfed in a yellow glow. "Kabuterimon!"

"J.P.'s got the medallion of the West!" Izzi shouted over the hum of Kabuterimon's beating wings. "You're an insect type like Beetlemon so you should be able to Digivolve to your ultimate level!"

Kabuterimon complied once again and evolved into a giant red beetle-like Digimon called MegaKabuterimon.

"Izzi!" Tai called out urgently. "Who else can evolve to a higher level?"

"How much time do we have?" Izzi called over to Beetlemon who was still staring off into the east.

"Two minutes," the Warrior of Lightening muttered.

Everyone quickly got behind the waiting battle ready warriors but Tai had to drag along Izzi who was frantically pulling up the Digimon analyzer Gennai had installed into his laptop years ago.

"Izzi," Tai growled.

"Just a nanosecond," Izzi growled back. "Got it! Only Guardromon can Digivolve to a higher level, but if Veemon becomes Raidramon, he should get a power boost since Raidramon's an electric type. The same goes with Cyberdramon is he stays in that from and Wormmon if he digivolves into Stingmon."

Kazu yipped and whipped out his digivice.

"Let's go Guardromon!" he hooted.

"Indeed," his machine Digimon beeped. "Guardromon Digivolve to... Andromon!"

A fitter looking cyborg Digimon replaced the rather bulky Guardromon, his sensors automatically locking on to the oncoming enemy from the east. At Kazu's command, he joined the Warrior DigiDestined, taking his place next to Beetlemon. Wormmon had Digivolved only a second behind the cyborg. The newly evolved Stingmon and a battle rearing Cyberdramon joined the front lines. Davis whipped out his D3 so Veemon could join them, but before he could do anything the Zaigou of Wrath appeared in the clearing.

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Who is this new Zaigou? What kind of powers is he capable of? Will the medallion of the West be any help? Find out next time of Digimon Digital Monsters.

Uh oh, cliffhanger! sorry guys, but I had ta do it. I promise to update before new years, but we'll see. I wanted to bring the Digimon back into it a little more since I've been so focused on the DigiDestined and speak through some of the character that have just kinda been there, but not involved. I hope I accomplished that in this chapter. I'm gonna try to involve them a little more. So what didja think? How'd I do? Sorry for the wait, but I've got two new fan fics I'm also working on (one of which is not posted yet). I hope I made it clear when they were speaking English, as opposed to Japanese (what they really should be speaking). Please review and Happy Holidays!


	16. Wrath

Ok, probably one of my shortest chapter, but a lot still happens. I hope this doesn't come as a disappointment. This starts out in J.P.'s perspective, but it kinda shifts to an overall detached perspective. The events in this chapter are the exact reasons i have for rating this story T because we get kinda graphic here (not that i haven't gotten graphic in earlier chapters).

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

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Chapter 16: Wrath

The Digital World Location: The Northern Region of Sekizou Forest

Beetlemon had a spine chilling sensation when the Zaigou entered the clearing. He could sense that this one was even more powerful that Aiyokumon, and far more intimidating. He doubted Tai could buy them time with idle chatter like he had the last time. At least there wasn't a hostage situation this time around. That was the one thing going for them at the moment, but that could easily be altered if they let their guard down.

The Zaigou cocked his head to the side, his angry expression fading into a cold mask.

"Are you the DigiDestined?" he said in a deceptively soft and sweet voice. "Why you're no threat at all. But to have defeated my sister, Aiyokumon, you must be stronger than you look."

Beetlemon tensed. Now he understood the enraged expression on the Zaigou's face earlier. If this was Aiyokumon's brother than they were in trouble.

"And you are?" Tai called out, angling himself out from behind a tensed Cyberdramon so that the Zaigou could see him. Agumon stuck to his human's side, refusing to let his partner go out there without him for protection.

The Zaigou's full lips pulled back into a smile revealing sharp and perfectly white teeth.

"I am called Iramon," he greeted with a bow, but when he righted himself again he was back to looking angry. "The Zaigou of Wrath."

"Ira is Italian for Wrath," Kazemon muttered to Tai.

"So I see," Tai called out to the Zaigou in a smooth matter, astonishing his companions once again. "Your title suits you well."

Iramon let out a cold laugh.

"Aren't you an amusing one," he snickered.

"Lady Aiyokumon thought so too when we sat down for tea," Tai actually smiled.

"Ah," Iramon growled, his tone disapproving. "You spoke with her, did you? My sister always had a thing for playing with her prey before she struck. I however…"

Beetlemon tensed, seeing the slight movement the Zaigou made and felt the medallion around his neck warm under his Digimon Warrior's guise. Raw power and energy pulsed through his veins and he was nearly winded by its sudden surge, but he held out, feeling stronger than he'd ever felt. He could feel the other insect and electric Digimon behind him undergo the same sudden power surge, a pleasant hum began thrumming in his chest.

"…will not bother with such trivialities," Iramon continued, suddenly drawing twin blades from scabbards concealed behind him and lunged forward wickedly fast towards Tai. Agumon and the other Warrior's reacted, but Beetlemon had seen the movement before any of them and reacted first. With his new strength and energy, Beetlemon was quick enough to meet and successfully block the coming blades with his armored forearms before they imbedded themselves in Tai's side. He grunted with effort as he shoved the Zaigou back. Once Iramon was forced away the other powered up Digimon chose to attack. MegaKabuterimon sent a "Horn Buster!" at him, but he quickly sidestepped. Cyberdramon and Andromon tried to gang up on him, but he blocked their attacks just as easily.

Tai, realizing that the clearing was too confined for everyone to battle and that only the powered up Digimon and the Warriors had any chance, quickly ordered everyone else to move out. Some of the other Digimon Digivolved to champion level to provide speedy transportation and extra protection while the DigiDestined fled north in hopes of reaching the edge of the Northern boarder that marked the start of Lord Genbumon's realm and, consequently, another Zaigou's hunting ground. With Lobomon and Tai's OK MegaKabuterimon left the battle field and carried almost two thirds of the DigiDestined and their remaining partners while Cyberdramon and Andromon tried to hold Iramon off with the Warriors. Greymon, Growlmon, Birdramon, Kyubimon (champion level form of Renamon) and Garurumon carried the remaining few that MegaKabuterimon couldn't carry. Davis finally had the chance to have Veemon Armor Digivolve into Raidramon before Tai ordered him to ride behind Matt and T.K. on Garurumon.

With a final encouragement from Davis, Raidramon quickly joined the battle and managed to knock Iramon away from poor Kumamon who was trying to use slide evolution to become Korikakumon. Beetlemon was getting right in there, saving Kazemon from what would have surely been a fatal blow from the twin blades. The Warriors were all changing into their beast spirit forms, but Beetlemon remain as he was. If he became MetalKabutarimon then he'd lose his speedy mobility in this small forest clearing and in such a close range battle that could prove to be a fatal mistake. Andromon was launching missiles whenever Iramon managed to disengage from whomever he was fighting and Cyberdramon was quick to block any of the Zaigou's attempts to disengage from the battle completely and go after the fleeing DigiDestined.

The battle seemed to rage for hours when it was only mere minutes. Iramon didn't appear to be losing any energy as the fight wore on and only Beetlemon and the other remaining Digimon were able to keep up with him. Everyone knew they were in trouble when the other Warriors were beginning to revert back to their human spirits. Beetlemon was suddenly trying to be everywhere as he attempted to protect and shield his exhausted comrades.

"Guys, you have gotta get outta here!" Beetlemon roared as he thrust Iramon back from Kazemon for what seemed like the hundredth time. "Get out of here while you can still retain your Spirit forms!"

"No, J.P.," Lobomon shook his head, panting. "We… can't leave you here."

"That's bull and you know it," Beetlemon growled. "You guys are done for if you stick around any longer. I'm the only one who stands a chance! Let me, Cyberdramon and Andromon handle this."

"Hey!" Raidramon barked before sending a rather excessive blast at Iramon. The Zaigou of Wrath faltered for a moment from the blast and that gave Cyberdramon the opportunity he needed to follow up with a series of his own blasts and rapid attacks while Andromon covered him.

"You left me out!" Raidramon growled once he was sure Cyberdramon could handle the Zaigou for the moment.

"Yes," Beetlemon said evenly. "Because I need you to help them catch up with the others. You can rejoin us once you do that. Please."

Raidramon growled, knowing full well that he wouldn't be able to rejoin the fight if he had passengers of his own to carry, but nodded his head. Lobomon was going to protest, but a tired and spent looking Löwemon urged him onto Raidramon's back. The pouting Armored Digimon took off once they were on. Kazemon picked up Kumamon and took to the sky to follow them from above but she hesitated and gave Beetlemon a concerned look.

"Go!" he roared at her, firing a blast at Iramon who had finally disengaged from Cyberdramon. Andromon rushed foreword to aid him.

"Just come back!" Kazemon cried, tightening her grip on Kumamon and took off after the others.

Beetlemon nodded grimly even though he knew that she couldn't see him anymore.

"Are you done?" Iramon sneered, shaking off Cyberdramon and Andromon. "Is the Warrior of Thunder free to do as he pleases?"

Beetlemon braced himself as Iramon broke past Andromon and Cyberdramon. He met the Zaigou blow for blow, but was beginning to take some minor hits himself. Cyberdramon and Andromon got in there as best as they could, but Iramon always threw them off to engage with Beetlemon again. They were all beginning to wear down and Beetlemon knew that they needed to end this quickly. He thrust Iramon back once again and sent his most powerful blast at him while screaming at Cyberdramon and Andromon to do the same. They bombarded attack upon attack at Iramon until they were exhausted and nearly spent, waiting for the dust to settle, hoping against hope that they had at least wounded the Zaigou.

But it was not meant to be. "Wrath's" signature twin blades flew out of the dust cloud. One hit Andromon square in the shoulder armor making him spin around and crumple to the ground, reverting him back to Guardromon. It's twin clipped Cyberdramon in the side and he fell to his knees as blood dripped from his wound. It wasn't a major hit and he didn't revert to any lower level, but he was paralyzed and couldn't move an inch. Guardromon found that he couldn't move either, concluding that here had to have been a paralyzing sedative of some kind applied on the blade's edge. Beetlemon had just barely registered this turn of events when he was suddenly gripped by the throat and lifted a foot off the ground.

"So you are the Warrior of Lightening," Iramon scoffed. "You're not much to look at. Why would that idiot Byakkomon appoint you the holder of the West Medallion? You are not entirely pathetic though since you have lasted this long."

Beetlemon's heart sank. Iramon was radiating such power. He had been merely toying with them the entire time. While they were sporting wounds and bruises from the battle, Iramon remained unscathed despite all the blows he had taken. This irritated Beetlemon. He wasn't about to die and let this Zaigou get away without a scratch. But that was the fact that stunned him. He was still alive. Why? To what purpose would sparing his life serve the Zaigou of Wrath? If he was going to be killed, he'd rather have it done with instead of having it dragged out. Beetlemon slowly gathered his remaining energy into one of his fists. He didn't have much, but he hoped it'd be enough for what he had in mind.

Iramon was criticizing him, calling a useless lump and a sorry excuse for a warrior.

"If I'm so useless then why haven't you killed me yet?" Beetlemon retorted.

Iramon's eyes narrowed.

"Are you that eager to die brat?" he sneered.

"No," Beetlemon said offhandedly. "It's just that I'd rather you just get it over with instead of bore me to death. I'm practically falling asleep up here."

His sarcastic comments were lost on the Zaigou. Guardromon and Cyberdramon couldn't believe what they were hearing. If J.P. died, then that'd be two of the DigiDestined gone and that was something that they just couldn't allow. Cyberdramon tried to fight off the numbness of the narcotic, but still couldn't move. Guardromon wasn't doing any better. Iramon let out a long laugh before crushing Beetlemon's windpipe enough to render him speechless for a few seconds.

"I'll tell you what," Iramon sneered. "I'm going to let you live. For now. I had intended to do so from the beginning. I was sent as a scout for the others and was not given any order to kill you. Why do you think I simply wounded your comrades when I could have killed them so easily? Surely you must sense how I am much stronger than my dear dead sister. Besides, I think I rather like you an it'd be boring if you simply died."

"I –cough– thought you didn't play with –cough– your prey… like Aiyokumon," Beetlemon choked.

"I don't," Iramon said simply. "I just don't see the point in killing you at the moment. I'll face you again and hopefully you'll prove to be much more of a challenge by then."

"Don't underestimate me," Beetlemon growled, using the last reserves of his strength to thrust his energized fist into Iramon's stomach.

Iramon let him go with a gasp and backed up a couple of steps clutching his smoking middle. He let out a loud and angry growl. When he removed his arms from his stomach his clothes were torn and angry looking burns surrounded freshly healing white scars shaped like jagged lighting bolts. They stretched from the point of impact where his bellybutton should be, spidering out and up to just centimeters below his heart. Iramon let out a venomous hiss and glared at Beetlemon. Beetlemon felt his warrior's spirit wanting to fade, but he held on. He did not want to show weakness to this vile Digimon. Iramon suddenly let out a spine chilling cackle and allowed it to become a booming laugh.

"Ha!" the Zaigou of Wrath cried. "I'll admit you got me. It's not often that I get wounded, but I'll really have to pay you back for what you've just done."

His face contorted in anger again. Beetlemon's attack hadn't seriously wounded him, but it had hurt his pride as a Zaigou. He let his natural emotion take over and he reclaimed his discarded twin blades, raising them above his head. Beetlemon had crumpled to the ground when Iramon had released him and now he lay on his stomach, his back exposed openly for the blow. But Iramon didn't want to settle for the back. No, he wanted the front end and return the blow where it was due. He mercilessly kicked Beetlemon over until the defeated warrior lay helpless before him. He had to reign in his anger a bit so that he could be sure not to kill him.

Beetlemon could not hold back the scream when the twin blades slashed across his own stomach. Cyberdramon and Guardromon had to look away as Beetlemon lost the ability to hold his spirit form. J.P. now lay bruised and beaten below the towering Zaigou. The armor of Beetlemon had prevented any breaking of the skin, but a large nasty 'X' shaped bruise was blooming across his mid section underneath his blue and yellow jumper. This angered the Zaigou of Wrath further. He had wanted the warrior to lie bleeding before him begging for the end, which he would mercilessly deny. He reasoned with himself that he had no choice but to raise he blades once more. He took in the sight of the rather large boy and decided that one blade should suffice. He wasn't allowed to kill him so he sheathed one in its scabbard and raised the other high. He reveled in J.P.'s scream as blade sliced flesh. There was now a line of red right through the center of the 'X' shaped bruise parallel to the boy's hips.

"Don't worry boy," he sneered. "I was careful not to damage any of your organs. You will live if you receive proper treatment in time. You have a few hours."

He couldn't help but look at his own recent battle scars and was suddenly hit with a marvelously malicious idea. He reached down and yanked J.P. up by his hair so that he could analyze his face. Despite being slightly over weight, he judged that J.P. was actually quite a handsome looking human with a rugged yet sweet sort of look about him. Iramon hated sweet. He'd soon fix that. He sheathed his blade and drew a small knife. He raised the sharp blade to the boy's left temple and lightly inserted its point. He heard the boy hiss as the blade was slowly dragged down his temple to his eyebrow. Then he twisted the blade and pulled it back up a bit before twisting it back down, across the eye, and stopping at the side of the nose. Now a light red cut shaped like a lightening bolt was lined on the boy's face. But it didn't bleed enough for Iramon's liking. He tightened his grip on J.P.'s hair and slashed down, up a little and back down on the boy's face to deepen the cut. J.P.'s screams filled the air and Iramon let him go, satisfied that he'd paid the boy back in full for the his own marks.

"Consider us even young Warrior of Lightning. I certainly look forward to facing you again. I have no doubt that you will become a formidable opponent. Just don't let any of the other Zaigou kill you before then."

'Wrath' finally took his leave, dashing off the way he'd come.

J.P. didn't know what hurt more, the blow to his stomach or the new carving on the left side of his face. His consciousness began to fade in and out with the loss of blood. Now that the Zaigou, so were the mysterious effects of his twin blades. Cyberdramon was finally able to move again and so was Guardromon. While Guardromon tried to detect the whereabouts of the other DigiDestined, Cyberdramon was careful look over J.P.'s wounds. He did his best to treat the injured warrior but he was a fighter, not a healer. Guardromon suggested that they pad his interior and rest J.P. inside of him while they traveled.

Cyberdramon then filled Guardromon's insides with leaves and made a sort of nest out of the blankets from J.P.'s traveling bag that had been conveniently left behind with them during the battle. Inside the pack were some basic bandages and they applied them as best they could. Joe had the more advanced medical supplies with him so they knew they'd have to quickly rejoin the others if they were to prevent J.P. from bleeding to death. Iramon had said that he'd have a few hours, but they knew better than to trust any Zaigou. J.P. moaned when Cyberdramon lowered him inside Guardromon as carefully as he could. The boy just barely fit and it made the two of them worry if Guardromon could take off with such a heavy burden. It proved to be no trouble at all though when Guardromon engaged his extra thrusters and took to the skies. He was mindful of his important burden and flew as smoothly as he could.

It was twilight when they finally caught up to everyone else at the edge of the forest. They all surged forward to greet the two battle weary Digimon. The Warriors demanded to know where J.P. was and were relieved to hear that he was resting inside Guardromon. But that relieve soon turned to anguish when Tai and Matt gently hauled the injured and unconscious warrior from the robot Digimon. Blood had pooled in various places inside Guardromon's armored body and the entire front of J.P.'s jumpsuit was drenched in it. The cruel engraving on the left side of his face alarmed everyone and Joe got to work immediately on the wounds. Willace and Michael offered their assistance as they tried to revive their friend. Once J.P. was patched up to the best of Joe's abilities, Joe moved on to taking care of Cyberdramon's wound under the watchful eye of Ryo while Kazu and Kenta were doing their best to clean out Guardromon. Everyone was shaken by their encounter with Iramon and few slept well that night.

J.P. didn't wake up the next morning but he was still in obvious pain and groaned in a now restless sleep. Joe became alarmed when he realized that J.P. had a fever.

"He needs proper medical treatment," he explained to Tai and Koji. "There is only so much I can do out here without a proper and sanitized facility."

Koji paled a little as he realized that they could loose J.P. After loosing Takuya, Koji didn't know if he or the others could stand to loose another friend so soon.

"We need to get to the Himizu City then," Tai sighed. "And fast. Do you think J.P. can hold out until then?"

Joe pursed his lips together as he glanced at the feverish boy. Zoe was kneeling next to him dabbing his forehead with the cool water Tommy had fetched for her. Koichi was standing nearby talking with Michael and Willace, casting occasional glances at them.

"It all depends on his fever," Joe sighed. "If it breaks, we've got some time, but I say we treat this as if it were the worse case scenario. I give it two days before his fever gets the best of him. As Iramon promised Cyberdramon and Guardromon, none of his internal organs were damaged, but he's currently suffering from some minor internal damage that I have no way of treating, and his fever is lowering the defenses of his immune system that he really needs at the moment to fight off any infection in his wounds. We have to hope that there are healers of some sort at our destination."

Tai nodded grimly and quickly had everyone pack up the camp while he and Izzi determined the best route to the northern city of Himizu. Neither of them liked the look of the city's surrounding landscape. The map depicted a wasteland of sheer ice surrounding the city and dozens of lakes and many other water features on the way there. Never the less, the DigiDestined packed up and moved on. J.P. was settled into a stretcher that Michael and Willace had fashioned the night before. The two Americans carried it between them now with the help of their Digimon partners. Guilmon and Cyberdramon took a turn an hour later and others volunteered to have a turn the hours after that.

Their progress was agonizingly slow as they were forced to travel around lakes and find safe passage across rivers and bogs they came across while J.P.'s fever got steadily worse. Joe did his best to curb the fever's progress, but no matter what ministrations he provided it didn't make a difference. J.P. was now drenched in sweat and had begun tossing his in the stretcher.

"Stop!" Joe finally cried, halting Matt and Tai who were currently carrying the stretcher. They lowered it and did their best to hold J.P. down as Joe checked the bandages to make sure the stomach wound hadn't opened again. It hadn't, but Joe knew that the stretcher wasn't going to cut it anymore. They needed to get J.P. to a treatment facility fast. Joe checked J.P.'s vitals and became increasingly concerned when he found how faded the pulse was.

"We need to get him there now Tai," Joe sighed. "He's getting worse. At this rate he won't make through the night."

Tai sighed and ran a hand through his thick bushy locks.

"What do we do?" Koji whispered looking at J.P.

"The only thing we can do," Tai sighed. "Some of us are going to have to travel ahead of the others. I suggest that we send Sora, Joe, Jeri and Henry out with the younger ones, Ai, Mako and Suzie, and have Tommy and Zoe go with them in case they run into any of the Zaigou. Birdramon can carry J.P. securely in her talons so that he doesn't open his wounds. Koji, you and I'll hang back to take care of the others. How does that sound to you?"

Koji nodded. It made sense to send the little ones on ahead with J.P. where they'd be safe. That way everyone could travel faster and J.P. could receive the treatment he needed. When Tai explained the plan to everyone, the agreement was practically unanimous. Biyomon Digivolved and became Birdramon. She stood on one foot while she gently picked J.P. up off the stretcher. She took off, hovering just a couple feet off the ground so that others could board. Sora helped Jeri, Ai and Mako onto one foot and pulled herself, Henry and Suzie onto the other. Joe and Gomamon boarded Leomon's back while Lopmon, Terriermon, and Impmon settled snuggly next to their Tamers. Zoe and Tommy Spirit Evolved into Kazemon and Kumamon. Kazemon picked up her snow bear friend as she launched herself into the sky after Birdramon. They could see Leomon tear after them on foot. The remaining DigiDestined waved after them wishing them luck. Koji and Koichi could only hope that their friends got to Himizu in time to help J.P.

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Will J.P. recover from his fever and wounds? What does Iramon have in store for our Warrior of Lightening should he survive? Find out on the next Digimon Digital Monsters!

So what'd ya think? Am I getting too dark? I hope that you all have had happy holidays and that you all enjoyed this last chapter of the 2010 year! Happy New Year and bless you all! Please review!


	17. Himizu City

Sorry for the wait, but here is chapter 17! I have been suffering from a major case of holiday laziness and writers block so i thought it was only fitting to introduce the Zaigou of Laziness (Sloth) in this chapter. This chapter starts out in Henry's POV, but most of the chapter is in TKs POV. I thought it was time for him to have a little chat with out warrior of darkness. I spent a long time on this chapter and in many ways am still unsatisfied because it's a load of fluff. If you find anything confusing please let me know and i will do my best to clear it up and fix it ASAP. Just to be clear, Yukimon and Otokomon are of my own invention. The Otokomon are this world's version of the unknown race that Gennai belongs to which is why they are referred to as "Gennais" until they learn their proper name. Because Henry is so unfamiliar with Gennai he assumes that he and the Otokomon are some kind of Digimon. I hope you enjoy and please review!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

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Chapter 17: Himizu City

The Digital World - Location: The Skyline Outside Himizu City

Henry knew that the task at hand was an important one but he couldn't help but marvel at the scenery below. The monotonous icy tundra they'd been traveling over for the last three hours was now giving way to sloping drifts and rising plains as the rushed DigiDestined swooped into view of the great city below. The earthen city of Sekizou had been made of rock, but Himizu City was made entirely of crystal and ice. It glittered and shined in the setting sun, casting crimson rainbows across the landscape. Suzie's eyes had nearly bugged out of her head when she tried to look at everything at once. Henry had to actually restrain her when she started to lean over Birdramon's clawed foot to get a better view. He saw Sora cast them an amused smile as she too turned back to look at the amazing city.

He could hear the shocked exclamations from the city's inhabitants below them, but Birdramon ignored it all and beelined it straight for the crystal palace at the center of the city. Leomon and his two passengers were right below them, racing and dodging obstacles while Kazemon and Kumamon flew just behind Birdramon's left wing. Sora pointed out a "welcoming committee" lining the upper balcony near the front of the castle. Birdramon flew where her partner gestured and Leomon was allowed to go through the palace grounds by the guards without a fuss. They were obviously expected.

"Pwetty Castle," Susie squealed in Henry's arms as Birdramon banked for a landing. Lopmon and Terriermon nodded in wordless agreement. Ai and Mako seemed to be cooing similar statements to Jeri and Impmon, but Henry couldn't be sure over the howl of the wind of their decent.

Waiting for them was the oldest looking 'man' any of them had ever seen. He had a snow-white beard that came down to his waist and a full head of thin hair that came down to the back of his knees. He was wearing white-blue robes, silver bangles on both wrists, a silver crown upon his head and a silver medallion around his neck.

"He must be Lord Genbumon," Sora breathed.

Henry nodded in agreement.

Birdramon hovered above the balcony, unsure of how to land with J.P. in her grasp. Genbumon seemed to be aware of their situation and motioned for four 'men' behind him to take J.P. from the bird Digimon. After getting an OK from Sora Birdramon complied and gently released the critical conditioned Warrior into the waiting arms. As she did this, Leomon vaulted over the balcony and Kazemon came in for her own landing to put down Kumamon. Sora told Henry that the 'men' that took J.P. looked incredibly like young versions of Gennai from her Digital World, only with slightly different facial characteristics. He took her word for it since he'd neither met this Gennai person nor was he used to seeing Digimon that looked so human, if they were even Digimon at all.

Birdramon finally landed and waited for her passengers to disembark before she DeDigivolved back into Biyomon. Kazemon and Kumamon also reverted back into their human guises. Joe and Gomamon hopped down from Leomon's back and joined Henry and Sora.

"You're Warrior friend will be taken care of," the old Digimon lord rasped in a soft, but strong voice. "Please follow me. There is much that needs to be discussed."

Henry traded glances with Joe, Sora, Zoe and Jeri before following the old lord. He made sure he held his sister's hand firmly. Jeri was doing the same with Ai and Mako. Joe and Gomamon took the lead with Sora and since Biyomon was worn out from the long flight Sora carried her Digimon Partner in her arms. Zoe and Tommy fell in line just behind them. Henry and Suzie came next with Terriermon and Lopmon at their heels. Leomon didn't seem as winded as Biyomon and, ever the body guard, faithfully followed Jeri and her charges, bringing up the rear.

Lord Genbumon and his guards led them through grand winding corridors and brought them to a study of some kind. He sat in a lavish high backed chair and gestured that they should do the same. The guards melted into the background as some tiny snowflake Digimon called Yukimon served them chocolate mint tea, sandwiches and teacakes. Lord Genbumon said that their talk could wait until they received news about J.P. Suzie, Ai and Mako were then led to the back of the room by the cute Digimon, but still within view of Henry and Jeri. The little DigiDestined squealed with joy as they played with the Yukimon. Henry couldn't help but smile. Suzie seemed to be enjoying herself for the first time since they'd come to this world. Lopmon, Jeri and Impmon seemed to be thinking along the same lines. It was quiet while they sipped their mint chocolate tea and watched the little ones play. Finally one of the men, they were all beginning to unconsciously think of as "Gennais," walked into the room and brought them news of J.P.'s condition. The "Gennais" were all typically tall, about 6 foot, fit framed, looked to be around 25 years old, had clear blue eyes, thin mouth, tight lips, straight nose, and a full head of rich brown hair. They even wore a white and blue-grey version of the robes that Sora and Joe had seen the young Gennai wear from their world. The only unique feature about this "Gennai" was that his hair was a little longer then the others and was braided in the back.

"His wounds were deeper than they appeared," the 'Gennai' spoke in a clear deep voice. "We managed to break his fever and seal the stomach wound. The surrounding bruising has somewhat cleared but it's still very tender and any strenuous activity could reopen the wound. As for the cut on the left side of his face, we were able to heal it, but I'm afraid it's left a pretty gruesome scar. How long was it before he received any treatment?"

"A couple of hours according to Guardromon," Joe sighed, pushing his glasses back up to the bridge of his nose. "I did the best I could do under the circumstances."

The "Gennai" nodded.

"He'd be dead if you hadn't treated him," he said.

"You saved his life. The Otokomon here," Lord Genbumon said gesturing to the 'Gennai,' "are healers and keepers of knowledge. They are peaceful Digimon that were once native to woodlands and plains. They knew of all sorts of herbal properties and remedies there, but when Kushyamon appeared they fled up here to my domain where they learned of the healing properties of crystals and treated water."

Joe nodded before turning to the Otokomon.

"Is there any chance that you could show me your methods?" he asked.

"You are a healer in your homeland?" the Otokomon asked.

"Sort of," Joe answered. "I am in the process of becoming one."

"I'm sure we can have that arranged," Lord Genbumon stated. "But for now there are more important matters to discuss than healing methods. On your way here you were lucky not to run into Paressemon, the Zaigou of Laziness."

"Sloth in the Seven Deadly Sins line up," Zoe muttered under her breath.

"Paresse means Sloth in Portuguese," Sora nodded.

"The guy can't be too bad with a title like that," Gomamon commented.

No one could tell if it was meant as a joke or not.

"Paressemon is not to be taken lightly," Lord Genbumon said sternly, eyeing the joking Digimon. "_She_ can be quite the sadist. She cares for nothing."

"I take it she's the Zaigou who has control over this land?" Sora asked.

The wizen Digimon lord nodded gravely.

"She is. I'm not as young as I once was, but I've got enough in me to keep this city peaceful. Like I said, she cares for nothing so she leaves us well enough alone, but don't let her title fool you. She's not lazy in the slightest. It's merely her persona. She may not be as to the point as Iramon, but she doesn't mess around like Aiyokumon. She's the type to ask questions later."

"Sound's like she's the careless aspect of the sin Sloth," Henry mused.

"How far behind you are the other DigiDestined?" Lord Genbumon asked.

Sora and Joe traded glances. They didn't have a clue.

"I only hope your friends haven't run into her," the lord sighed. "If any of the Zaigou are underestimated in ability, it's Paressemon."

* * *

The Digital World - Location: Near The Frozen Tundra South of Himizu

"Take a five minute break everyone!" Tai called out with a sigh.

T.K. plopped down onto an outcrop of rock. They'd been traveling for hours non-stop across many rivers and around a couple of lakes. His legs ached, but he didn't complain. That didn't stop Davis though.

"My feet are killing me!" the goggle head groaned, taking a seat next to him.

T.K. rolled his eyes.

"So are mine Davis, but you don't hear me complain," he said gruffly.

"Isn't that what your doing now?" he heard a voice sneer.

T.K. locked eyes with Koji. What was this guy's deal?

"Koji," another voice sighed. "Let him be."

T.K. turned his glare to the new speaker, Koichi. He still didn't get along with the guy. He knew he was being an ass about it, but he just couldn't shake the misgivings he had against the Warrior of Darkness because of what he represented. He had to admit that the guy was nice enough and certainly hadn't given anyone a reason to hate him, but it was hard for T.K. to be persuaded so easily that darkness could be good. Not after what had happened to Patamon, Kari and Ken.

"I will when he does," Koji growled, but stalked off towards Tai and Matt.

Koichi shot T.K. an apologetic smile before rushing off to follow his twin. T.K. glared back, but only out of reflex. When he realized he'd done it again he groaned. Davis noticed his friend's predicament and shook his head.

"'Should just get over it man," Davis chided. "He's a cool guy. Kari's warmed up to him already, why can't you?"

T.K. scowled again.

"Ah," Davis grinned. "So that's why. You don't like Kari getting cozy with Darkness."

"And you don't?" T.K. shot back bitterly.

Davis held his hands up, palms out, in a defensive gesture.

"Dude, you have no reason to feel jealous," Davis sighed. "Kari's head over heels for ya. …Trust me on that one."

T.K. couldn't help but look up when he heard the bitterness in Davis's tone. He gave Davis a questioning look, but the goggle head sighed and pushed himself up of the rock they were sitting on and stretched as if he hadn't said anything at all. T.K. stared at his friend, feeling a little concerned. Davis just hadn't been much like himself lately. He had figured that Davis was just trying to get over the fact that he and Kari were officially dating now, but that was nothing new. Everyone else had seen it coming for months, so surely Davis hadn't been so blind not to notice. No, him dating Kari couldn't be what was bugging the Armored DigiDestined of Courage and Friendship, but if that wasn't it then what was bothering the usually cheerful and goofy goggle head?

T.K. watched Davis stretch and couldn't help but grimace when Davis gingerly rotated his right shoulder. It was that shoulder that had been dislocated when Davis had saved him from falling out of the cables in the cylindrical cavern. T.K. knew that it wasn't his fault because he'd been knocked unconscious at the time, but he couldn't help but blame himself.

Davis noticed his stare and grinned.

"Admiring my good looks T.P.?" he joked, easily falling into the old pattern.

T.K. snorted.

"As if goggle brain… how's your shoulder?" he asked.

Davis paused mid stretched.

"Huh," was all he said before continuing the stretch.

When T.K. didn't get anymore of a response out of him he grew slightly agitated. He was about to push the matter when Davis snorted.

"Huh," he said again. "Is that incident still bothering you? Dude, you have got to learn how let things go. Yeah, my shoulder's still a little stiff, but I fine."

T.K.'s eyes narrowed making Davis roll his.

"Really," the brunette insisted. "I'm _fine_. Good grief."

"What are you two bickering about now?" the all too familiar voice of Kari descended upon them.

"Same old same old," Davis shrugged, unconsciously covering for T.K.

Kari's amber eyes eyed them suspiciously, but let the matter slide.

"Okay… Well Tai says it's time to move on again," she said before walking away to let the others know.

T.K. and Davis traded looks before falling in step behind Tai, Matt, Izzi and, consequently, Koji and Koichi. T.K. reminded himself to be civil when conversing with the twins, but was often saved my Davis's constant chattering. Now this was the Davis T.K. was used to. The joking and absent minded Davis, not the brooding and thoughtful Davis.

"We should be coming to the beginning of a flat plane," Izzi muttered an hour later as he somehow managed to walk, type with one hand and balance his laptop on the other at the same time. "It'll begin at the top of this ridge and mark the start of the snow and ice portion of this northern territory. I'm going to be appreciating those winter snow jackets that Digitamamon packed for us this trip."

"Me too," Matt and Tai grinned, sharing a conspiratorial glance.

T.K. noticed the look but didn't comment. There were a lot of moments that Tai and his brother shared, but he knew better then to pry. They tended to exaggerate in order to get a reaction out of him if he ever bothered to ask.

"How far until we reach Himizu city?" Koji asked.

T.K. analyzed the Warrior of Light. Koji looked a little worried. They'd been traveling all day and it had been four hours since Sora and Joe had left to get J.P. to Himizu city ahead of them. He couldn't blame Koji for worrying about his friend. If he were in Koji's position, he'd be worried too.

"A few more hours away," Izzi sighed. "_If_ we don't stop. Otherwise I don't see us making it there until sun up. I suggest that we either trudge on now with little to no breaks, or we camp up on that ridge and wait until morning to reach Himizu City. Once we start across this frozen tundra, we cannot stop."

At the idea of waiting until morning Koji scowled up at the setting sun as if it had offended him. Tai rested a consoling hand on Koji's shoulder.

"Don't worry Koji," their ever-present leader said. "I'm sure they've made it by now. Everyone's tired. We can afford to wait until morning."

Koji looked up into Tai's light amber brown eyes and finally nodded. Izzi and Matt released hidden sighs of relief. T.K. and Davis couldn't help but agree. Neither boy was looking forward to crossing a frozen wasteland at night when it would be at its coldest. Everyone else seemed to share that opinion as the entire mood lightened considerably once Tai told them that they'd be bedding down for the night.

T.K. volunteered for the first watch and, to his hidden and ashaming horror, was paired with Koichi for watch duty. Someone obviously had it in for him. He didn't complain or request a change in partner, but he couldn't avoid Koji's narrowed and accusing glare. Tai and Matt were the other pair assigned to the first watch on the other side of the camp.

The first hour of watch was a quiet one. Everyone who wasn't on watch duty had crashed as soon as they put head to pillow and there was no sign of an enemy. Tai and Matt were chatting quietly from where they were stationed with their Digimon but T.K. and Patamon had kept an awkward silence. It didn't seem to bother Koichi though. T.K. knew that he should use this opportunity to make things right between himself and Koichi, but he just couldn't figure out how to begin the conversation.

"How…" he'd started, but clamed up instantly.

Koichi had heard him though and cocked his head to the side in a silent question, leaving T.K. free to ignore him and leave his question unasked, or continue the conversation. T.K. sighed inwardly. Was he the DigiDestined of Friendship's brother or not? He didn't want to be the only DigiDestined that didn't get along with Koichi and felt that he should at least try to be friends with him. Kari would want it and he gave himself the excuse that he'd also be doing it for Cody, who he believed to only be holding back from being friends with Koichi and the other Warriors because he was. The boy was always saying that you should never judge a person by reputation, but by their actions. Cody was his partner in many ways after all and the little boy had the most incredible sense of loyalty anyone had ever seen. T.K. knew that if he didn't make an attempt to be friends towards Koichi and his group then Cody wouldn't either out of loyalty to him. It was just the stubborn way the boy was. He left out a sigh and braced himself as he asked his question.

"How can you stand being the Warrior of Darkness? Doesn't it bother you that you represent something evil?" he blurted out in a rush.

Koichi was silent for a moment before answering.

"It's not like I wanted to be," he replied honestly. "Especially after what it made me do… Did Koji ever tell you how I became the Warrior of Darkness?"

"You were possessed by an evil Digimon," T.K. nodded, thinking back to the first time he'd met Koichi. It had been during that confrontation with Duskmon in the caves. That seemed like ages ago and he hadn't been particularly listening to the explanations while he watched the fight.

Koichi chuckled bitterly.

"That's putting it rather mildly," he sighed. "Koji was being kind. He told you about my accident in the train station right?"

T.K. nodded again. He remembered that part.

"You almost died," he stated rather bluntly.

Koichi became silent again for a moment and T.K. thought that he might have said something wrong. He was making the boy relive painful memories after all in order to help him understand.

"I thought I had," Koichi whispered softly. "When I had found out about Koji I wanted to know everything about him. Meet him even. It hurt to find out how perfect his life was. He had Dad, a new mom, a dog, a happy home… My mom and I are alone, you see, and she works over time so that she can support us. She gets sick often so I do my best to take care of her. I had no friends, only my mom. It was just a coincidence that I had been following him that day. I was going to introduce myself after weeks of… well I guess stalking rather fits my actions. I had finally found the courage to introduce myself to him. I missed the elevator he'd taken, rushed down the stairs and fell in my attempt to reach him. In a way I had really died. I was filled with regret. That is what allowed Cherubimon to summon my spirit to the Digital world. I found myself in a strange place where there was nothing but shadows and my own suppressed feelings. I had never felt such hatred. I hated everything; my life, my dad and his new wife, my life, … Koji. Cherubimon spoke to me. He gave me the spirits of the Warrior of Darkness. Told me that they'd chosen me. That it was meant to be. In many ways he was right. Koji says that he was manipulating my feelings to make me his puppet, his pawn. But what he will never let me admit to… is that I let him do it."

T.K. listened to this confession. He didn't know how to feel about it.

"I let him make me the Warrior of Darkness," Koichi continued, his voice dead. "I got lost in my anger, my regret, and became Duskmon. I fought Koji. I nearly killed him; all of them. I lost myself and became so evil that I made even Takuya give up for a time. Takuya! The leader, the Warrior of Flame! …The one who had such uncanny optimism that he became the beacon of _hope_!"

T.K. looked up at the mention of his crest.

"I was so lost that I allowed myself to be Cherubimon's little puppet. I did what ever I was told. After fighting Koji for so long though I began to wake up. Koji and Takuya managed to bring me back, but it took some time for me to move away from the edge of despair. A new level of regret then consumed me, but it was that regret and the wish for forgiveness that returned the spirits of darkness to their true forms. I had to accept my actions for what they were, right my wrongs, intentional or not, let go and move on. Those last two were the headrest for me. How could I forgive myself for hurting and destroying so many things while I was Duskmon? In many ways I still tried to make it up to my friends all those months after our adventure in the Digital World. But I know better now. When we first arrived in this world I was lost in those awful memories. I was nearly lost again and that's what summoned Duskmon from the shadows of that cave. He will always be there lurking, waiting for me to slip up again."

T.K. paled. If what Koichi said was true, then not only did the boy have a connection to the evil that lurked in darkness, but he could summon it up too. Duskmon had been powerful. This was unsettling information to be giving someone who was already unsure of Koichi.

"But Löwemon told me something," Koichi continued with a slight smile.

"What did he tell you," T.K. nearly choked, but somehow managed to keep his voice normal.

"He said that the spirit of darkness is a greater burden to bear then any of the other legendary warrior spirits," Koichi mused. "That there is a fine line to walk and many times that line will become blurred. It will be easy for me to forget and lose my way, but that I should not lose faith. I should not lose _hope. _ Because Light is my brother and twin, he will always be there by my side to help me. I should never forget that he is there and that Löwemon will be with me too, as my true spirit guardian. He said that in my hands darkness is not evil. You see, darkness is a peaceful neutral, taking neither side. That's how I can deal with being the Warrior of Darkness, T.K. I never have to pick a side. I do what feels right by me. It may not be the best choice, but it'll be one that I can live with. Right now I don't know if telling you all of this with change whatever opinion you've made about me, but I feel like you should know. After all, you represent Hope. Maybe letting you know what's happened to me is my way of finding some hope of my own so that I can continue to make the right choice after all the wrong ones I've made in the past."

T.K. was silent again as he processed that.

"Can I ask _you_ a question?" Koichi suddenly asked.

T.K. blinked, wondering what Koichi could possibly want to know.

"How come you're so against the idea of Darkness being anything but evil?" Koichi wondered.

T.K. sighed and looked down at Patamon who had dozed off in his lap before this conversation had even started. It was a fair question. Koichi had answered his question, so he supposed he owed the boy an answer.

"During our first adventure," he started slowly, "in the Digital World there were only the seven of us; Tai, Sora, Mimi, Joe, Izzi, Matt and I. I was the youngest, younger than Tommy even. The baby of the group. We were fighting against an evil Digimon called Devimon and everyone's Digimon partner but mine were able to Digivolve into their Champion level. Devimon had beaten them all and was about to destroy me, but Patamon rushed in to my rescue and became Angemon for the first time. In order to stop Devimon, Angemon sacrificed himself to get rid of him and cleanse the darkness that had been cast over File Island. I thought I'd lost him."

T.K. ran a hand over Patamon's back as he remembered that day.

"He became a Digiegg again and I raised him back to Patamon. We faced many evil Digimon after that, but they all wanted the same; the Digital world plunged in darkness under their control. When Davis and the others join up a few years later a new kind of darkness had taken hold of Ken, causing him to spread misery throughout the Digital world."

"Ken told me what had happened to him," Koichi nodded.

"Sounds an awful lot like what happened to you, huh?" T.K. laughed bitterly. "It took some time for us to accept that Ken was no longer evil or a threat to any of us. Cody especially."

Koichi nodded.

"And Kari?" he asked softly. He knew T.K. was holding back on that account.

"She's a little more open to things and is all for second chances, but it took time for her to come around as well. Before Ken cast out the darkness within him, something had summoned her to another world that was filled with darkness," T.K. frowned. "We still know next to nothing about it, but we call it the Dark Ocean. Only Ken, Kari and I have ever been there, but nothing good comes of that place. It nearly took Kari away from me – I mean us."

Koichi nodded again.

"You certainly have many reasons to hate darkness and I can't fault you for that. Darkness is used for many evil things, but it isn't something that can be controlled. I should know. Anyone who tries loses themselves to it and becomes consumed by whatever drove them to want to possess it. Even if those evil Digimon you faced had succeeded, they would have failed in their endeavors because darkness is an unobtainable power. Even I, the Warrior of Darkness, cannot control it. To use darkness you have to channel it and very few know how to do that. I doubt any of your past opponents were awear of that factor and were merely out for more power. Power is often mistaken as an aspect of darkness."

T.K. stared. He just couldn't figure this guy out. One moment he started feeling sorry and sympathetic and the next he'd start getting creeped out by how matter-of-factly Koichi spoke about things that he and his friends feared.

"Are the boys done chatting?" a girl's voice chided.

Koichi and T.K. immediately jumped to their feet, waking Patamon. Out of the shadows walked a pale skinned girl around their age with black hair tied in pigtails. She had a long pinched face with pouting lips that had way too much makeup on. She had a bored look on her face, her black painted eyelids hooded. T.K. was reminded of a teenage version of the Bellatrix Lestrange character from the Harry Potter movies.

"Who are you?" Koichi asked, his hand already in his pocket clutching his D-Tector.

The girl cocked her head to the side, looking at Koichi as if he'd asked a rather obvious question.

"I am Paressemon," she answered in a low ominous voice. "The Zaigou of Laziness. I'm here for the Warrior of Darkness."

* * *

What does Paressemon what with Koichi? What is TK's opinion of the Warrior of Darkness now? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

I had really wanted to have more action in this chapter but i felt that TK just had to have that talk with Koichi. It's still a little heavy, but I felt that after what happened to JP in the last chapter I needed some talking to go on. I will continue the next chapter in TK's POV to maintain consistency. I hope you enjoyed and please let me know if I was unclear or made any mistakes in this chapter.


	18. Paressemon

Here we are with chapter 18! Wow. Has it been 18 chapters already? No wonder I'm getting easily distracted. Well, as promised, this chapter continues on in T.K.'s POV. This chapter ended up quiet differently then I'd expected, but I'm quite satisfied with how it turned out. Will you be? Hope so! Enjoy chapter 18! Please read and review. When I get stuck I love to read your reviews and that gets me all siked up to write more! I swear it's addicting!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 18: Paressemon

The Digital World: Location: Outskirts of Himizu City's Frozen Tundra

Patamon, T.K. and Koichi were frozen where they stood. Tai and Matt hadn't noticed their unwanted visitor yet, and there was no way to warn them without Paressemon seeing.

"Don't do anything foolish like warn your friends," the young Zaigou yawned. "It'd be a useless effort because I'm not here to cause you trouble. …At least not yet. I only wish to convey a message to Dark."

"Dark?" Koichi repeated.

"I think she means you," T.K. muttered.

Paressemon smiled lazily.

"Now that Flame is gone, Dark, you are the one that will be targeted next," she stated. "You will become the key to Lord Kushyamon's victory in taking over this world and any other that he chooses. He had no interest in the others."

"Why not take me now?" Koichi smiled in spite of himself.

Paressemon let out a soft giggle.

"My dear boy," she scolded, waggling her finger at him. "I can't simply take you. I've yet to receive the order. Besides, I don't think it'd be fun to take another Warrior out of commission just yet. You've already lost one and another is being treated for a very serious injury that was inflicted in a scrimmage battle. You DigiDestined are turning out to be real a disappointment."

T.K. frowned. If the injuries that J.P. had sustained were merely from a practice fight then what chance did they have in an actual battle against any of the Zaigou?

"Then what did you come here for if not to abduct me?" Koichi asked puzzled.

Paressemon's grin became more pronounced.

"I only came to warn you what is to come, but also to let you know that I am going to let you and the rest of the DigiDestined reach Himizu City unhindered unless I am provoked to do otherwise."

"And why would you do that?" T.K. growled.

Paressemon frowned and a dangerous glint lit up her eyes.

"Would you rather have me attack you now?"

She bent low into a feral crouch, her black painted nails extending into foot long claws. Her lips peeled back from her teeth in a malicious grimace and a low snarl escaped from between clenched jaws. Shivers ran down T.K.'s spine, but Koichi seemed completely at ease and remained unfazed by the Zaigou's intimidating stance.

"Are you done?" Koichi asked in an almost bored tone.

The Zaigou's lips twitched upwards once before she abandoned her crouched posture and her claws reverted back into fingernails.

"Aren't you an interesting specimen," she mused. "I really must talk to the others about the right to apprehend you myself. You could prove to be an entertaining… guest to have. But tonight's not the night and I really must be going."

"In that case, I look forward to it," Koichi said with a slight bow.

The Zaigou of Laziness giggled softly before returning his bow with one of her own.

"Until later then," she grinned flirtatiously before taking off into the night.

Once she was gone and out of sight, T.K. finally trusted himself to look at Koichi. Patamon remained silent, watching the two human boys uneasily.

"What the hell was that about?" T.K. asked as calmly as he could manage.

"An old habit," Koichi grimaced, a disgusted look appearing on his face. "One that apparently hasn't died away yet."

"Explain," T.K. demanded rather sharply.

Koichi sighed, the look of disgust now replaced with one of bitterness.

"When I was under Cherubimon's control as Duskmon I was lumped together with the other corrupted Warrior spirits. I had felt no sense of camaraderie with any of them and quickly developed the habit of not speaking or conspiring with any of them. When I did find myself in a situation that required me to speak, I spoke politely to avoid aggression and quickly got to the heart of the matter so that I would not have to bother with small talk."

"Alright… So what about telling her that you are looking forward to being abducted?" T.K. asked puzzled, realizing that he still didn't understand the boy at all even after the conversation they'd had before the Zaigou's appearance.

"It's just as it sounded. I was letting her know that if she were the one to take me I would go quietly, resigned to the inevitable," Koichi sighed.

"What?" T.K. gasped. "You're just going to let her take you? You're not even going to fight back?"

"You've seen how well resisting worked out for J.P. and Takuya," Koichi smiled sadly.

"But what about Koji?" T.K. demanded. "How would he feel if you just let her take you away?"

Koichi shrugged.

T.K. gawked at him for a moment while Koichi stared off in the direction where his twin was sleeping.

"Koji wouldn't like it," he admitted. "But if I don't resist she won't have any reason to harm me. If I remain unharmed, Koji will be able to think logically about how to handle my abduction. With Takuya gone and J.P. injured, there is no one to keep him stable when it comes down to my well-being. He can't afford to be rash. I think Paressemon was doing me a kindness by letting her plans be known to us. Despite her title she's very cunning and should not be underestimated."

T.K. studied Koichi with a sharp eye. He could feel the sincerity in Koichi's words and that the boy really believed that what he was saying was true.

"Aren't you afraid?" Patamon asked. "They could kill you, Koichi."

"I don't think that's their intension," T.K. sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Paressemon said that he'd be the key to Kushyamon's victory over this world."

"Are we going to tell the others?" Patamon asked, worried.

T.K. looked at Koichi.

"You're the one that's going to be affected the most," he said. "It's your call."

"You'd keep what happened tonight a secret?" Koichi asked with a small smile, raising an eyebrow.

T.K. frowned.

"I thought not," Koichi chuckled. "We'll tell Tai and my brother at least. They can decide whether or not to get the others involved."

"I'll go get them then," Patamon said, taking off in the direction Tai and Matt were stationed for the watch.

Five minutes later Patamon returned with Tai, Matt, Koji, and Izzi. Tai had wanted Izzi and Matt to know what was going on as well, so with Koichi's permission T.K. quickly filled them in on what had happened. Koji's expression hardened when he heard what Koichi's response had been to the Zaigou's plan. Needless to say he was displeased.

"I will not let her take you without a fight," he growled.

"I expected as much," Koichi smiled sadly. "But if she's the one that comes to take me, I will not resist."

"Why not?" Tai asked, a little concerned that Koichi might be suicidal.

"Because she won't harm me," Koichi stated. "There is more to this Zaigou then what meets the eye."

"How do you know that?" Matt asked.

Koichi tore his eyes off his twin and shifted his gaze to the night sky.

"Out of all of our friends, Takuya was the only one deeply in tune with his Digimon Warrior's spirit. He claimed that he could even converse with Agunimon in his human form. None of us are even close to doing that, not even Koji, and he was Takuya's equal in almost every aspect. All that the rest of us can do is sense properties that belong to the element we are connected to, even when we were in the real world and no longer attached to our warrior's spirits. For example, Tommy can tell how cold it is, when it's going to snow and by how much. Zoe can tell when a large gust of wind is going to come and what direction it will blow without have to be out in it. J.P. can sense electrical currents and knows when a storm is coming. Koji can tell you when the sun and moon are going to raise and set and what phase of the moon it will be that night. As for me, I can navigate myself and help others through a dark room without any source of light and tell you what's hidden from view in the shadows. However…"

Koichi trailed off, bringing his gaze to the ground instead of back to his brother and the other four listeners. His bangs covered his eyes, hiding them from view. Koji stared at him suspiciously. It wasn't like Koichi to avoid his gaze.

"…Recently after my current encounter with Duskmon inside the caves when we first got here, I've begun to get a better feel for darkness. It's not just a sense for material matter anymore. I can sense the psychological darkness hidden deep within a person. I suppose if I wanted to, I could tell you how 'evil' or 'dark' a person is. That's is how I know about Paressemon. Aiyokumon and Iramon were definitely full of darkness, but there was no depth to it. No layering around the core of their being. They are shallow bearers of darkness. Most of it, like in Iramon for example, was all one aspect of negative emotion like anger. Paressemon is different. She's got layers to her core. I sensed many different volumes of darkness and not all of it was bad. In fact it was her innermost core layer that surprised me."

Koichi looked up at them now, confusion in his indigo irises.

"She was sad."

None of them had been expecting that statement.

"What?" Tai and Matt gaped.

Izzi looked contemplative.

"She didn't look sad to me," T.K. frowned. Patamon nodded.

"That's why I said that we shouldn't underestimate her," Koichi sighed. "She's good at hiding emotion. She didn't look like it, but I _felt_ a deep sense of sorrow and regret coming from her. It was the same kind of sorrow that I felt coming from Ken when he talked about his time as the Digimon Emperor, but… it was also the same kind of sorrow _I_ feel when I think about all the horrible things I did under Cherubimon's control. Trust me, it's a rare thing to feel. It's the feeling of irredeemable shame. Personally I think she hasn't fully realized that she's even carrying that emotion around. That's how deeply it's submerged into her core."

"So what you're saying is that she may have become a Zaigou against her will?" Tai asked.

"It's possible," Izzi mused. "It's not like we know if the Zaigou were created for their purpose or if they were actually chosen to be what they are now. I find it curious that you have the ability to see into a person like that Koichi. And you say you've only acquired this ability recently?"

Koichi nodded.

"Yes. I became awear of it during our struggle with Aiyokumon."

"Interesting," Izzi mused. "So you can sense the degree of darkness in a person. I wonder if that's why the Zaigou want you. To use you as some kind of darkness detector."

"All the more reason you shouldn't let yourself be taken," Koji muttered at his brother. "How do you know she won't hurt you? Iramon had said that he wouldn't kill J.P., but that didn't stop him from slicing him up!"

Koichi flinched at his brother's harsh and bitter tone, but he could feel the sadness behind those words.

"There are other ways of resisting than taking a physical stand Koji," he said softly. "Takuya knew as much, didn't he?"

The pain that appeared on Koji's face was evident.

"I just don't want to loose you," he said softly. "Not again. Please don't put me through that again, Koichi. Isn't once enough? Isn't one sacrifice enough?"

Koichi looked at his twin for a moment before holding him in a tight hug.

"Now who said anything about me sacrificing myself?" he whispered. "Sure, I did that once before, but only because I thought I was already dead and had nothing left to loose. You're not going to loose me again. I'll go through hell and back before I let that happen."

"Then why are you just going to let the Zaigou take you when they come?" Koji said reproachfully, gently pushing his brother back.

"I didn't say I'd let just any Zaigou take me," Koichi sighed. "I said I'd go without resistance if it were Paressemon. I will not let any other member of the Zaigou take me. You can count on that."

"Why make Paressemon the exception?" T.K. asked suspiciously.

Koichi smiled a rather sheepish grin.

"Because I find her interesting."

Koji nearly fell over at the statement.

"You what?" he choked.

"I find her interesting," Koichi shrugged, a nervous blush creeping into his skin. "Out of all the Zaigou we've met so far, I-"

"Find her the most appealing?" Tai and Matt snickered.

"Oh please," Izzi said, rolling his eyes. "He's referring to the unusual difference in darkness between Paressemon and the Zaigous of Wrath and Lust."

"Exactly," Koichi nodded, taking the lifeline.

"Was she attractive looking like Aiyokumon?" Matt asked T.K., ignoring the previous statements.

"Only if you think Bellatrix Lestrange from Harry Potter was attractive," T.K. scoffed.

"Seriously?" Tai laughed. "Is that what she looked like? Yikes!"

"More like a teenage version," T.K. shrugged.

"Hmm," Matt and Tai mused, trading conspiratorial glances.

"Oh grow up you two," Izzi sighed.

Koji nodded in agreement, but T.K. could tell that his thoughts were running along the same lines as Matt and Tai's. In another situation, T.K. himself probably would have found the idea of the Warrior of Darkness having a crush on the young Zaigou of Laziness humorous as well. Tai and Matt were only trying to lighten the mood after all.

"All joking aside," Izzi grumbled. "It's time to start the next watch. Koji and I'll take this station."

"Great," Tai yawned. "I'll go wake Takato and Ryo to take over for me and Matt. We'll discuss what happened tonight with the others after we reach Himizu City and meet up with our friends there. Until then no one is to speak of this to anyone. Got it?"

Everyone nodded in agreement. T.K. followed Koichi to the edge of camp where the boy usually slept with Michael and Willace, but tonight Koichi positioned himself a short distance away from them. Against his inner voice's protest, T.K. joined him. Needless to say Koichi was surprised, but T.K. ignored the confused expression and sat across from him, his back to Michael and Willace as well as the rest of the camp. Patamon settled into his partners lap, his worry evident on his face.

"So that's it then?" T.K. asked softly. "You know Koji will try to stop you from going with Paressemon."

"I know," Koichi smiled sadly. "He's never dealt with loss well, even if nothing is actually lost."

"Why?" T.K. whispered. "Why will you voluntarily go with her? You aren't _really_ attracted to her, are you?"

"No," Koichi chuckled then took on a thoughtful expression. "I'm going because… don't laugh okay? I'm going because I feel like that's what I need to do. Paressemon is different from the other Zaigou. There is almost a human quality to her."

T.K. stared hard at the shy looking boy in front of him.

"You think she's human?" he asked slowly as if he were tasting every word.

Patamon's head perked up.

Koichi shrugged.

"You do realize that we've only met three of _seven_ Zaigou," T.K. pointed out. "How do you know that the other four aren't going to be like her? That they aren't going to have multiply core … layers? Is that what you called it? I'm not going to act like I understand, because I don't, but think about the repercussions of your actions if you let yourself fall into the Zaigou's and – ultimately – Kushyamon's hands. You're a Warrior, Koichi. Takuya is dead and J.P. is in critical condition! How can you just give yourself up knowing that it could mean that the Warriors will loose one more?"

"I'm not giving myself up, if that's what you think," Koichi frowned. "I have other reasons for going. I'm all too awear of what is going on, T.K. In fact, I may know more about our situation and understand it a lot better than anyone else here. There are other forces at work than the Zaigou. Don't you find it odd that they are toying with us when it's obvious that they could wipe us out easily? They have limits, T.K. Remember? Paressemon said she couldn't take me away tonight because she hadn't received an _order_ to do so. Guardromon and Cyberdramon said that Iramon didn't kill J.P. because it would be against his _orders_. The Zaigou need reasons to justify what they do. What if they are being restrained by these orders because Kushyamon has else something in store for us? Haven't you wondered why Takuya was targeted when we first arrived?"

"Wasn't it because that Lucemon guy was inside of him?" T.K. asked, wondering where Koichi was going with his logic.

"Yes," Koichi nodded, "But why did they want Lucemon? Think T.K! If they went after Lucemon, who was the greatest evil Digimon in our world-"

"You think they might be after the evil Digimon that we've faced in the past from our worlds too?" Patamon gasped.

Koichi nodded.

"I think it's a very strong possibility, but the question is why? Why go through all that trouble to bring back an evil entity that is obviously weaker than the powers that they already have? Don't you see? It doesn't make any sense."

"So the real reason you're willing to go with Paressemon-" T.K. started, eyes wide.

"Is so that I can find out what's really going on here," Koichi finished, a determined expression on his face. "Now that Takuya is dead, I may be the only one who can."

* * *

The Digital World: Location: The Northwestern Tundra

The next morning was a long one. The frozen tundra was cold, unforgiving, and the pace they were going at was agonizingly slow because if you rushed, you'd slip and fall and it'd take you three minutes to get back up an balanced again. On the bright side, Paressemon was a Zaigou true to her word and the half frozen DigiDestined made it to outskirts of Himizu City without any incident. For this, T.K. was grudgingly grateful. When he'd woken up that morning with Koichi and walked around camp with him, it had caused quite the stir. He hadn't exactly kept his dislike for the Warrior of Darkness hidden since they'd met so it was only natural for the others to be confused. All morning he avoided the questioning glances while he and Koichi joined their brothers at the front of the group. Only Tai, Matt, and Izzi acted as if nothing was different. Koichi, who was already used to his company by now, wasn't making a big deal out of it either, but Koji kept giving him glares. They weren't entirely hostile, just confused. Kari and Davis were delighted about his sudden closeness to Koichi, but they'd be kidding themselves if they thought he and Koichi were anywhere near friendship at this point. T.K. still held a few uneasy suspicions about the boy.

At the moment T.K. was walking a ways behind the Warrior twin pair next to Cody, who hadn't spoken a word all morning. The great frozen city loomed ahead of them, but it'd be another half hour until they reached the gates.

"So what happened last night?" Cody suddenly asked.

T.K. glanced down uneasily at the youngest DigiDestined from his group. Cody's face remained passive, neutral, giving nothing away as it usually did when he was trying to make a judgment of some kind.

"Nothing surprisingly," T.K. shrugged.

"Hmm," Cody grunted, his eyes narrowing somewhat. "I wouldn't call your sudden companionship with Koichi, nothing. You never allowed yourself to get so close to him before because of what he represents. You instinctively disliked him. So why the change?"

T.K. frowned. Leave it to Cody to be so perceptive.

"We talked," he shrugged again.

"About what?" Cody persisted.

"About him mostly," T.K. sighed. "About how he became the Warrior of Darkness and his understanding of the … element. That kind of thing. I hate to admit it but his story kind of reminds me of Ken's."

"…But?" Cody pushed again, his expression as impassive as ever.

"But there's just something about him," T.K. muttered. "Even though he told me everything I wanted to know and then some, I still don't get the guy. It's his way of understanding. His logic. I'd never have reached the conclusions he had if he hadn't talked me through them the way he did. He let me get inside his head a bit last night, but I've come out of it more confused then ever. When I would get to a point where I thought I understood him, he would say something that would displace that understanding."

"He is a rather complicated person," Cody mused, glancing at the raven-haired boy and his twin. "He'd have to be if Darkness is his ally. Now what kind of conclusions are you talking about?"

"You'll find out later," T.K. promised, but glanced uneasily at the twins in front of them.

"So something _did _happen last night," Cody muttered. "I knew that you were leaving something out."

T.K. grimaced again.

"I'm under orders from Tai," he grumbled. "He wants to wait until everyone's together again before anyone says anything."

Cody's eyes widened a fracture and he raised an eyebrow.

"Sounds like there was more going on than a conversation last night."

"You're right," T.K. nodded. "There was more than one conversation."

"Anything else?" Cody demanded softly.

"No," T.K. chuckled. "That was the surprising part. Everything that happened last night was all talk and no action."

Cody looked like he was going to say something but he never got the chance. The gate to the city suddenly opened up and a large group of snow bears known as Frigimon came to greet them. Tai greeted them as if they were old friends. Everyone was quickly herded into the ice castle and brought to their waiting friends in a study. J.P. was still being treated elsewhere in the castle by the Gennai-like creatures known as Otokomon.

"We were worried about you guys!" Sora sighed when she saw them. "Lord Genbumon told us about the Zaigou who's stationed in this area by Kushyamon."

"Then perhaps you'd better fill us in," Tai said grimly. "Because T.K, Patamon and Koichi had the honor of meeting her last night."

Everyone who wasn't already awear of what had taken place last night gasped and stared at Koichi and T.K.

"You guys met Paressemon and she didn't attack you?" Henry asked suspiciously. "What did she want?"

"It was a simple matter really," T.K. shrugged, ignoring Cody's scrutinizing gaze. "She wants to abduct Koichi, but hasn't received any orders to take him yet. She only stopped by last night to tell him she'd let us come to this city unharmed, but that the Zaigou will come for him eventually."

"How awful," Mimi and Palmon gasped.

Koichi waited for T.K. to reveal to the others what he had told him last night, but the DigiDestined of Hope surprised him. He changed the subject.

"So what did you guys learn about this new Zaigou?" T.K. asked Sora.

"Not much," Henry grimaced, answering instead. "Lord Genbumon is weary of her. He says that we shouldn't underestimate her. Despite her title as the Zaigou of Laziness she's more of a representation of the carless side of the deadly sin known as Sloth. She cares for nothing and treats everything as if they were insignificant."

T.K. peeked at Koichi out of the corner of his eye and noticed that the boy was nodding to himself. Something that Henry had said must have confirmed another theory the Dark Warrior had about the Zaigou. He wasn't sure how he felt about Koichi yet, but he couldn't help but feel fascinated by the boy's logic. It was an unnerving sensation that he wasn't sure he liked having, but he was helpless to curb the curiosity. He'd have to pick Koichi's brain about it later.

"What about you T.K?" Sora asked, dragging him from his thoughts. "What was your impression of the Zaigou?"

T.K. shrugged. "She certainly isn't anything like Aiyokumon. She looked like a young Bellatrix Lestrange."

"You mean that crazy evil witch from the Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix movie?" Yolei asked.

T.K. nodded. "She certainly gave Patamon and I a fright. I don't recommend making her angry."

"What did you do to make her angry?" Matt asked, frowning slightly. This wasn't mentioned the night before.

"He did nothing really," Koichi answered for him. "He simply asked why she was telling me that I was going to be abducted instead of actually doing it. She told him that she could attack him if that was what he wanted. Her intimidation technique was quite unnerving."

"Yet you didn't look scared," Patamon pointed out.

Koichi smiled grimly. "I've seen scarier forms of intimidation. I used to be a bad guy, remember? What Paressemon was doing was just grandstanding. I imagine that she will look far more frightening when she decides to attack for real."

"Why don't you tell the others what you told us last night," Tai suggested. "You had some rather interesting views on her."

Koichi nodded and repeated everything he'd told Koji, Tai, Matt, Izzi, Patamon and T.K. the night before. Only T.K. couldn't help but notice that Koichi didn't mention his intension of going with Paressemon's abduction voluntarily. It was as if a silent agreement had been made that no one, except for those who already knew, should learn of Koichi's intensions towards his expected abduction. Matt even pulled T.K. aside later and told him not to let anyone know. If Koichi changed his mind then they would have worried everyone for nothing. But T.K. knew that Koichi wasn't going to change his mind and when that moment came, T.K. intended to be there when it happened.

* * *

Uh oh. What's T.K. getting himself into? Is Koichi right about Paressemon? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

How was that? Not what you were expecting huh? I hadn't intended this to be another dialogue filler chapter, but a lot needed to be said and I wanted to show how perceptive Koichi is. That's what makes him unsettling to T.K. He's been to the dark side and knows their inner workings. He's letting T.K. in on a side of him that I'm sure Koji's has hardly seen for himself. Does anyone other than myself enjoy seeing TK struggle to connect with Koichi? I'm probably going to have the next couple chapters in their POV but I might just end up doing doing it in Cody's thou. He's another character that has a lot going on in his head that we just didn't get to see much of in the TV series. So what did you think? Sorry that there wasn't any real action in this chapter. I promise you that the next one will thou and I'll try to get it published a lot quicker than this one. This one only took so long because there was a lot of dialogue and I wanted to make it significant and not cheesy or boring.


	19. Bonding Truths

Dat da da daa! Here is chapter 19! Holy smokes! Can you believe that it's come this far? It seems that I can never write a short story. Oh well, more for you to enjoy. Many of you have been keeping tally of who's been injured in this fic, but not ONE of you have counted Davis! He was hurt in chapter 5, remember? he wrenched and dislocated his right shoulder while saving an unconscious TK. Joe had to reset it. So the injury/death count at this point is actually Adventures: 1, Tamers: 0, and Warriors 2. But, moving on, this chapter came surprisingly fast to mind! YAY! I'm baaack! Again, it is in Koichi and TK's POV with a little bit of Cody later on. Please enjoy and review! THe more reviews i get to read, the more siked up I am to write more, knowing that you, the reader, want more.

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON 01, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 19: Bonding Truths

The Digital World: Location: Himizu City

"What are you thinking about?" Koichi was asked once again.

He sighed and looked back at T.K. The boy had been nagging him every chance he'd gotten since the meeting a few hours earlier. They were currently on their own, without permission, in one of Himizu City's largest streets in the middle of what appeared to be a market.

"Nothing, really," Koichi answered truthful.

He really wasn't thinking about anything particular, except maybe if he should risk getting a souvenir for Koji and his friends while trying to take in all the sights. It wasn't as if they'd had the opportunity to do so in Sekizou City. Since it was believed that the DigiDestined were not safe outside the ice crystal palace while an active Zaigou was in the area, Koichi had snuck out. It was only by mistake that he'd happened into T.K. on his way out. The boy had been insistent on coming so Koichi decided to allow him to tag along. To be honest, he would have let T.K come along even if he hadn't asked. Koichi was used to the boy's irrepressible presence by now. It had been T.K.'s brilliant suggestion that they bundle up so that they would not only be warm, but have their identities concealed as well. Thankfully cloaks weren't uncommon in this region since it was always cold and only the snow and ice Digimon walked around without wearing any warm garments. The cloaks that they were wearing were actually spares given to them by the Otokomon who'd helped them sneak out. When asked why, the strangely human Digimon said that 'It was none of their concern what the DigiDestined did,' and had left it at that.

Currently T.K. was fuming slightly behind him.

"Then why'd you sneak out?" the DigiDestined of Hope pressed.

"Always suspicious, aren't you?" Koichi chuckled. "I just wanted to see the city T.K. There is nothing wrong with that. Why? Did you think I was off to meet our friend, Bellatrix?"

T.K. shifted his footing uneasily. Koichi shook his head, but was still smiling.

"Why did you call _her_ that?" T.K. muttered as they passed a couple of Frigimon playing a game of ice bowling in a nearby alleyway.

"You like comparing _her_ to that character and since calling her by her real name and title around here seems to have an odd effect on this city's occupants, I thought you'd rather approve the use of 'Bellatrix' as a code name," Koichi shrugged.

It hadn't taken long for the DigiDestined to figure out that, aside from Lord Genbumon, all of the palace's inhabitants were completely frightened of Paressemon and her kind. Even the mention of the title of a Zaigou or any other reference to them would have everyone clam up and look fearfully around the room as if the mere thought of the Zaigou could summon one of the them on the spot.

"Fine," T.K. sighed. "Yes, I admit, that's what I'd been thinking. If you weren't so casual about the entire matter, I wouldn't-"

"Yes you would," Koichi laughed. "I'm not blind, T.K. I make you nervous no matter what I say or how open I am to you. I tell you everything up front. I'm probably more honest with you than I am with anyone else. Even Koji. There are just some thing's that one shouldn't hear."

His companion frowned.

"That's exactly why you make me nervous."

"Then why follow me?" Koichi asked, curious.

"Why indeed," T.K. muttered. "Especially since the feeling is worse now that we're alone together."

The boy paused suddenly, biting his lower lip. Koichi sensed the dark tinge of regret radiating off of him so he knew that T.K. hadn't meant anything personal by the comment.

"Why didn't you bring Patamon along then? You two are nearly inseparable," Koichi wondered, smiling again so that T.K. could see that he'd taken no offense.

"He was tired," T.K. sighed, obviously relieved. "He needed the rest so I let him sleep in. Besides, it's not as if I had planed on going out, seeing as we were warned not to. You were just leaving and I had no time to really think things through past the cloaks after joining you at the last minute."

Koichi nodded.

"So back to you," T.K. grumbled. "What were you thinking when Henry told us what Lord Genbumon had said about 'Bellatrix?' You were nodding your head."

Koichi sighed and turned around to face T.K.

"Use you own head for once," he said in a low voice. "Surely you're smart enough to draw you own conclusions? Who says if I'm right any way? It's all guess work after all."

Koichi turned on his heel and stormed off into the crowd. He couldn't hear T.K.'s quick footsteps at first, meaning that his words had stunned him for a moment, but it didn't take long for the older boy to close the gap and follow him as they weaved their way through the crowds. When they were out in the open again just outside the entrance of a neighborhood, he stopped. He could hear T.K.'s light panting and sensed the boy's core filled with confusion tainted with a touch of anger behind him, but Koichi neither spoke nor turned around. The two of them were silent, listening to the other breathe while they tried to gauge how the other was feeling to see if it was safe enough to talk.

"…Sorry," T.K. muttered finally. "You're right. I can figure things out on my own, but I can't help but want to hear your take on things. To compare notes, you know? …You think differently than I do with that detached and factual logic of yours. I don't know if it's because you've experienced the workings of the other side first hand, but I can't help but ask you what your opinions are. Nothing has really made much sense to me since we came to this world. Everything is so… different from what I'm used to. But then you tell me your thoughts and theories and I finally begin to make some sense out of this whole mess. It's like you said last night. You may be the only one who can fully understand what's going on. I just hate not knowing."

Koichi remained silent, continuing to gaze down the rows of houses as he gathered his thoughts. The neighborhood's streets were empty and a few child-like Digimon could be seen running around farther down at an intersection.

"I'm sorry too," he finally sighed. "I'm not sure why I said all that. I know why you ask me about these things. I'd do the same if I were in your position."

T.K. nodded, relief spreading through him.

"Are you sure that it's you and not Izzi that's the DigiDestined of Knowledge?" Koichi joked lightly.

T.K. chuckled, shaking his head with an amused expression on his face. Koichi could sense the dark tension fade from the outer layer of the T.K.'s core. It had been a little unsettling for Koichi at first when he'd discovered that he could sense this sort of thing, but it was times like these that he was almost glad for it. It helped him prevent fewer and dispel awkward moments between him and T.K. They were closer to understanding each other now then they had been the other day. Koichi even dared to think of T.K. as an overly cautious, but very reliable friend. Just as he had no problem telling T.K. what was on his mind, T.K. didn't hold back his opinions of him either. It was defiantly a grudging friendship, but a friendship non-the less.

"She's planning something," Koichi stated with a sigh, turning back around.

T.K.'s face twisted into a confused and blank look.

"Bellatrix," Koichi clarified. "She's acting of her own. She may have been ordered not to abduct me yet, but that order didn't stop her from telling us what they have planned. The question you so boldly asked was a good one. Why tell us?"

"Wasn't she informing us under orders?" T.K. asked puzzled.

"No," Koichi shook his head. "She hadn't received any order yet. She said, "I only came to warn you what is to come, but also to let you know that I am going to let you and the rest of the DigiDestined reach Himizu City unhindered unless I am provoked to do otherwise." Those were her exact words. No mention of orders like the times with Lust and Wrath. She was there on her own. Henry said that she cares for nothing and that she finds everything insignificant. What if she thinks her comrades and master are insignificant as well?"

T.K.'s eyes shone bright with understanding.

"You think she might turn against them?" he asked with awe.

"Possibly," Koichi nodded slowly. "She's certainly bidding her time, letting us simply come here without so much as a snowball fight. Like I said earlier, this is all guesswork and theory, but maybe there was a reason behind her visit last night. She said that she would see if she could make arrangements so that she could handle my abduction herself."

"You think she might use you to break free of… her master's control?" T.K. asked, careful not to say the name Kushyamon aloud.

"Again, it's possible," Koichi shrugged. "I doubt it thou. She can't take any significant sort of action without orders remember? It's a restraint that I believe is cast on _all_ of _them_."

"For now," T.K. said grimly.

"For now," Koichi grimaced. "Ophanimon help us if they are all set loose."

Suddenly everything felt cold to Koichi. He instinctively turned his gaze back down the rows of houses. The sun was setting so the Digimon children were no longer outside and not a soul could be found. He quickly looked back in the direction they'd come from. The market was still full of the usual hustle and bustle of shoppers, but it was a ways away from where they stood and the sounds were muted to his ears.

"What's wrong?" T.K. asked.

"It's too quiet," Koichi muttered. "Do you feel cold?"

"No more than usual," T.K. shrugged. "Why? What's going on?"

"Not sure," Koichi frowned. "I'm going to see if I can sense any abnormal source of darkness. I'm going to be out of if for a moment so if something happens, snap me out of it and lets get the hell out of here."

Before T.K. could respond Koichi closed his eyes and reopened them slowly. To T.K. it appeared as if Koichi's eyes had glossed over, becoming pure black, dead, and unseeing. Koichi didn't need to move his head to sense the things around him. He ignored the dark feelings of frustration and the minor cases of irritation coming from the market place stall owners and it's shoppers behind him. He focused his attention on the neighborhood before him, ignoring the bickering inhabitants, worried children that were trying to make their way home before dark, and the miserable beggars and homeless that inevitably inhabited any large city, human or digital. At first he found nothing out of the ordinary, but suddenly he was stunned by a burst of unfathomable dark energy.

'_Warrior of Darkness,_' a voice hissed directly into his head. '_My mistress seeks your audience._'

'_Tell her to come get me herself_,' Koichi thought as he tried to lock onto the location of the dark source and it's voice.

'_Impudent child!_' the voice cried. '_It is my Lady Paressemon's wish that you accompany me._'

'_Sorry, but I will only go if she comes for me,_' Koichi thought, finally zeroing in on the beast. It was a slim, lizard-like Digimon with a pure black core. It had to have been artificially made even more so than a normal Digimon. '_I swore not to be taken by anyone other than Lady Paressemon herself._'

'_We shall see about that you mortal brat!_' it spat, but then the voice vanished.

Koichi did his best to get a fix on the aura again, but it was moving too swiftly. He was able to trace its path but then he froze. He realized where it was going to end up and quickly forced himself out of his daze.

"T.K! Duck!" he cried.

T.K. heard the panic in Koichi's voice and threw himself to the ground, but he had hesitated for only a second. Something dart-like whizzed by, grazing his shoulder. It had only torn his clock open a little bit, but it had made a loud sinister hissing noise in the cold quiet air as it flew past his ear. There was a flash of light next to him and suddenly a black metal lion replaced Koichi. T.K.'s mind was blank for a moment since he'd only seen this Digimon once before, but he recalled the name eventually. Koichi had transformed into JägerLöwemon, the Warrior of Darkness's beast spirit.

"Hop on my back!" it growled. "We need to get out of here!"

T.K. didn't hesitate this time, hopping onto the beast Digimon's back and leaned down to make himself as flat as possible. JägerLöwemon took off once he was sure that T.K. had a good hold on him and wouldn't fall off. He sensed more of those dart things flying at them, but easily dodged them because he could sense their trajectory once the reptile Digimon let them fly. He figured that their pursuer was under Paressemon's orders not to directly engage them since it had yet to actually show its face. He didn't wish to stop and test that theory, not with T.K. on his back, and headed straight for Himizu Palace. It was a maddening ten-minute dash but when they neared the back gate, the dark aura of their pursuer suddenly vanished. JägerLöwemon didn't slow down though, and neatly jumped the gate with a single bound. Exhausted from the long run, Koichi reverted back into his human form and a few of the Otokomon that were present let them pass through the grounds without question and even helped them sneak back into the palace the way they'd left. However, the human-like Digimon couldn't help them get past the small but imposing figure that was waiting for them just inside the back door next to the mudroom.

"Cody," T.K. sighed, thinking that it could have been someone else who'd be worse, like Matt or Koji or…

"T.K!" cried a shrill and hysteric voice.

Patamon emerged with tear-streaked eyes from behind Cody.

"I-I was so-o worried!" the Digimon cried. "I woke up and you-you were just gone! I couldn't find you a-anywhere!"

"Are the others looking for us?" T.K. asked, thinking the worst.

"N-No," Patamon huffed angrily. "I-I found Cody and t-told him that I couldn't find you. He-he said that he saw you s-sneak out with Koichi. We-we've been waiting this whole time!"

"I want answers," Cody said softly. "Tell me what's going on and I won't tell either of your brothers that you two snuck out."

Koichi chuckled softly, earning him a narrowed glare from the young, but serious, DigiDestined.

"You are wise beyond your years, Cody," he sighed. "How long have you been watching us?"

"Since the meeting this afternoon," Cody said, his face void of any emotion. "I was concerned."

"For T.K." Koichi smiled.

"Yes," Cody nodded slowly. "But I was concerned about you as well. Some things were left unsaid at the meeting and I want to know what they are and why you aren't telling the others."

"Perceptive," Koichi nodded, his smile widening. "You've got a good friend T.K., but I must say that I'm rather surprised that you haven't already told him."

"Matt made me promise not to," T.K. muttered.

"Tell me what?" Cody asked, glancing between the two taller boys.

"That Paressemon told me that the Zaigou are targeting me for abduction… and that I'm going to go through with it," Koichi stated.

Cody's eye widened a fraction.

"But why?" he gasped. "Why let them?"

"He's not going to let just any of the Zaigou take him Cody," T.K. sighed, but narrowed his eyes at Koichi. "He wants Paressemon to handle his abduction personally."

"But," Cody gaped. "Why her? Why go at all? She'll kill you! We've already lost a Warrior and-"

"He knows this Cody," T.K. grimaced. "He thinks that if he goes along with it he'll find out what's going on in this messed up world."

"But…" Cody sighed.

In that moment he looked the age he really was. He was confused, sad even.

"You can't," he finished rather lamely. "You just can't go. What about your brother? What about you friends? …What about the rest of us? This isn't just about you Warriors. You all may be in the thick of it, but … we're affected by what's going on just as much as you are. How do you think we feel? We can't become Digimon like you five can. We can't actually fight. All we _can_ do is send our friends out to fight for us while we stand by helpless. Useless."

T.K. stared down at his younger companion.

"Cody…"

"You know it's true T.K." Cody muttered bitterly before looking up at Koichi who stood a head taller than him. "We need you Koichi. I know I haven't been as nice to you and your friends as I should have been, but please, for everyone's sake, don't go with Paressemon."

Koichi smiled sadly at Cody and slowly shook his head. Cody's face became a mixture of emotions: anger, sadness, confusion, but the most surprising emotion that Koichi sensed was understanding.

"You really are wise for your age," Koichi sighed.

"I'm twelve you know," Cody frowned.

"Really?" Koichi laughed.

It was T.K.'s turn to frown.

"What's so funny about that?" he asked.

"Because I'm also twelve," Koichi chuckled, shaking his head.

"Really?" T.K. and Cody gasped in unison.

"I thought you were older," T.K. blinked.

"So did I," Cody mumbled. "You're my age?"

"Yeah," Koichi smiled. "So are Koji and Zoe. …Takuya was twelve as well."

Cody and T.K. exchanged bewildered glances.

"I thought you guys were at least my age," T.K. breathed.

"And how old is that?" Koichi asked.

"Fourteen." T.K. stated.

"I suppose we do seem a little older than we really are because of the weight of responsibility that we carry as the human hosts for six of the ten Legendary Warrior Digimon," Koichi mused. "We've had to grow up a little more on our journey than any of you other DigiDestined. I'm not saying you guys had it easy or anything, because we've all seen our fair share of hardships and loss. It's just that it's like Cody said, we Warriors are always in the thick of things, never having the option to rely on someone else to fight the battle for us. We just… do what we can. That's all that any of us can do, really."

Well apparently Patamon and Cody weren't the only ones who'd noticed Koichi and T.K.'s absence. Tai had found out that they'd snuck out of the palace as well. He hadn't told Matt or Koji about it yet, but he told T.K. and Koichi that he would if they were stupid enough to do it again. In return for his silence, T.K. and Koichi were forced to tell Tai everything that had happened outside. Tai, Cody, Agumon, and Patamon listened intently to their story about the strange Digimon that had been appointed by Paressemon to bring Koichi to her. Tai was silent for a long time before he spoke again.

"All right you two," he sighed. "No more adventuring out on your own. If you want to go out and explore the city again just ask one of us older DigiDestined to accompany you. I'm sure Mimi and Yolei would love to take you up on that. And bring Patamon along with you next time for God's sake, T.K. You're two are lucky that that thing didn't kill you. I especially don't want you wandering off on your own Koichi. If Paressemon sent that goon after you it's only a matter of time before the Zaigou try to abduct you in earnest."

"I wouldn't worry about that Tai," Koichi chuckled.

"And why's that?" Tai frowned.

"Because I doubt that T.K. or Cody are going to let me out of their sights anymore," Koichi grinned, sensing the guilt but burning determination emitting from T.K. and Cody's cores.

Tai nodded at the two DigiDestined approvingly.

"Then see to it that they don't," he said grimly. "You're brother is on the verge of loosing it, Koichi. He's still distraught over Takuya's death. I don't think he can handle loosing you, even for a moment."

Kochi nodded solemnly.

"Alright," Tai smiled, satisfied that everything had been addressed. "Now off you lot go. Matt, Izzi, and I are meeting up with Joe to see how he's coming along with learning how to use the Otokomon's crystal-healing methods. Why don't you guys go fetch Armadillomon? I'm sure he's missing you about now Cody."

"I doubt it," Cody said with a small smile. "All he's wanted to do since we got here is eat and sleep. He should still be passed out in my room."

"Then why don't you all accompany Koichi down to the infirmary to visit J.P?" Tai suggested. "I heard that he's woken up and is asking for his friends. I'm sure Koji, Tommy and Zoe are already there. Wouldn't surprise me if Willace and Michael were down there too."

They all nodded in agreement and, after retrieving a newly awakened Armadillomon, headed to the infirmary. It was full of curtained off wards, but the one containing J.P. was left open for visitors. Just as Tai had predicted, Koji, Tommy, Zoe, Willace and Michael were all gathered around the bed. Tommy was the first to notice their entrance.

"Koichi! Over here!" he cried out needlessly, his face beaming with delight.

Looks of shock and surprise appeared on Koji and Zoe's face when they saw who Koichi was with, but Willace and Michael didn't seem to find anything odd about his current company. When they got close enough to actually see J.P., they had to hide their own shock. The lightening bolt-shaped scar over J.P.'s left eye was an angry livid pinkish orange color, but that wasn't what attracted their attention. His actual eye was no longer reddish brown like the other one. It was several shades lighter, looking dirty yellow in color flecked with black specks. The iris was pure white instead of black, giving Koichi the impression that J.P. could now look straight into his very being much like he could look into another person's core.

"Hey guys," J.P. grunted, not sure what to make of Koichi's current company either. "What have you been up to?"

"Same old," Koichi shrugged with a kind smile. "Exploring mostly."

The hidden implication made T.K. roll his eyes and Cody cough back a laugh. Patamon and Armadillomon looked at their human partners curiously and so did everyone else.

"What we did was a very loose definition of exploring," T.K. sighed, rubbing his right temple.

Koichi simply shrugged again.

"I'd say it was more like messing around," Cody smiled, playing along.

"I suppose so. Tai did chew us out a bit," T.K. mused.

"He chewed _you_ two out. I was just the innocent bystander," Cody pointed out.

"What were you guys doing?" Koji asked suspiciously.

"Nothing of much consequence," Koichi smiled, sharing a conspiratorial glance with Cody and T.K. "As Cody said, he found T.K. and I wandering and messing around. Tai caught us during a rather awkward moment, had a word with us and said that J.P. was awake so here we are!"

The way he'd said it quelled everyone's curiosity for the most part, but Koji still looked a little suspicious. J.P. had laughed at the trivial manner the story was delivered in and shook his head.

"Better then wasting away down here," he sighed.

"How are you feeling?" Koichi asked, taking his natural position next to his twin, while T.K. and Cody hung back next to Willace and Michael on the other side of the bed.

"Fine. My gut still aches now and then, but I'm healed up for the most part. Those healing crystals that the Otokomon use are pretty amazing. They sealed my stomach wound quickly so it almost looks normal again. One of the crystals had a rather odd reaction with my eye though," he said indicating his discolored eye. "They say that it's become rather sensitive to energy now and since this whole palace is made of power crystals and special ice solutions it looks like this."

"Does that mean when we leave here, it'll go back to normal?" Koichi asked, fascinated.

"So they say," he grumbled. "I doubt it. I can see some pretty freaky things out of this eye now. For example, when the Otokomon were using the healing crystals on me earlier today, I realized that I could see the flow of energy radiating through their bodies and into the crystals. I saw it again when they tried teaching Joe how to use them. He wasn't getting it right away so I gave him some suggestions on what he could do. I'm not sure how, but I understood how they used those crystals just by watching them. I can't put it into any technical or proper terms, but I must have figured it out well enough because I was able to help Joe use them the same way the Otokomon were. When I told Joe about it, he told me that he couldn't see any energy flow. Izzi was there at one point and told me that he believes that it might be a side effect from the healing crystals, but the Otokomon say it has nothing to do with them."

It was silent for a moment. J.P. looked uncomfortable and Koichi could feel it. His friend was feeling like a freak. …Like he had when he found out he was able to sense another person's core or soul, depending on what you wanted to call it. The terms were interchangeable to him in this case.

"Perhaps it has nothing to do with the crystals," Koichi mused, gaining everyone's attention. "It's possible that it's an ability that Iramon passed unwittingly to you when he gave you that scar."

J.P. frowned at the Zaigou's name.

"You mean like how Harry Potter inherited the ability to talk to snakes through the scar that Voldemort gave him?" T.K. asked.

"What is up with you and Harry Potter?" Koichi snorted, highly amused. "First Paressemon reminded you of the character Bellatrix Lestrange and now it's the similarity of the theories about transferred abilities through J.P.'s and Harry Potter's scars?"

Cody laughed softly when Koichi put it like that. T.K. crossed his arms indignantly albeit in a dramatic fashion. This made Koichi and Cody laugh a little harder and T.K. couldn't help but crack a smile as well. This was a rather odd scene for Koji and Zoe to witness, who were so used to seeing T.K. and Cody avoiding Koichi. Now here were the three of them laughing and joking with one another as if they were long time friends. Koji shook his head. His twin brother still never ceased to amaze him.

* * *

Seems like TK and Cody have finally become friends with Koichi. Will it last? And what about JP's eye and the ever looming threat of Paressemon? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

I admit that I wanted TK to get injured in this chapter, but it's kinda hard to mount a lion digimon and hide the fact that you're badly injured from everyone in that condition, so TK got off lightly with a slight scare this go around. How many of you were confused that Koichi is the same age as Cody? I was wondering how I was going to pull that off, but I think it works because Cody is naturally short. Koichi doesn't seem like he's 12 does he? In case you are all wondering why Cody is 12 and not 9-10, the DigiDestined from 02 are 2 years older then they were at the end of their season/ the fourth movie, Revenge of Diaboromon (hated that movie fyi. they changed Tai's and Gabumon's voice!). If you want, I'll post the age list of everyone in the next update. Please review!


	20. Chapter 20 Special: Parent Worries

So here we are at chapter 20! I really wanted to do something special for this chapter so of course this is probably the longest one I have written so far. Have you ever wondered why I always put **The Digital World** along with whatever location the story is taking place in instead of just putting the location? That that is because not all of the story will take place in the Digital world. This chapter is about the human world side of things. I had been meaning to do this for some time, but just hadn't gotten around to it. So I apologize to those of you who wanted me to continue the story from where I left off last chapter, but I believe that in celebration in writing my twentieth, I needed to shake things up a bit (not that I haven't been doing so from chapter one). From now on you will get a peak at what is going on with the DigiDestined's families as this story continues on, but for now lets go back to the day the DigiDestined were summoned away from home on that fateful day August 1. Please review and let me know how you feel about this chapter. Enjoy!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 20: Parent Worries

One Week Previous… August 1

The Human World – Tamers: Location: Hypnos Headquarters

Mitsuo Yamaki was not a happy man at the moment. He was sitting behind the rather large and ostentatious desk in his office on the top floor of the newly restored Hypnos Headquarters building. Janyu Wong was sitting opposite of him, slightly out of breath and looking as if he were on the verge of a break down. According to his secretary, Riley, who was also the head of the engineering department and his girlfriend, Janyu had left work abruptly and ran off somewhere just half an hour ago. He had apparently rushed right back from wherever he had gone to and demanded to see Yamaki. Janyu was just finishing a very exhaustive report on where he'd gone, why, and what had happened that had made him come rushing back.

"So you're telling me that those kids went back to the Digital World?" Yamaki asked, clicking his Zippo lighter nervously.

"Yes," Janyu answered him weakly. "My wife told me that this morning Henry and Suzie were going to the park to meet up with some friends. I was working here on level five with Daisy and I just couldn't shake this strange feeling. When Shibumi told me about a strange anomaly that was happening over the children's park I just knew that the kids were involved somehow. I rushed right over, but I was too late to stop them. There was this flash of light and then they were all gone. There are no other explanations as to where else they could be."

Yamaki sighed. It had only been a couple of months ago since the D-Reaper program had gone haywire and was stopped by four children and their Digimon. Hypnos just recently finished cooperating with fellow intelligence agencies to help quiet and sooth the public uproar that had inevitably risen in the aftermath, restoring electronic systems and military facilities that had crashed during the nearly worldwide siege. On top of that, the Shibuya district was still recovering from the damage that had been caused a week before the D-Reaper incident by a swine Digimon, Vikaralamon, who had been one of the twelve Digimon Devas. That was back when Hypnos had been a secret government agency. Now the entire world knew about Hypnos and its purpose. Yamaki had quickly been made the official head and face of the agency, replacing his former superior. Hypnos's official higher ups had received many comments from Yamaki's staff and high-ranking military personnel recommending him for such a position.

"Call in the children's parents," Yamaki sighed. "I don't want them finding out about this second hand. It was bad enough last time."

"Yes sir," Janyu nodded, pulling out his company phone and began calling his wife and the parents of all the children that he'd seen at the park.

"Sir!" a red-haired woman in a lab coat barged in. "You need to see this."

"What is it Riley?" Yamaki asked his secretary, sitting erect in his seat.

The woman walked over to the large screen TV situated on the wall to Yamaki's right and turned it on.

What appeared on the screen had to have been a movie of some kind, but it couldn't have. What they were all watching was live feed from somewhere. It was soon discovered that every channel was focused on one individual. Combined, all the channels were covering thirty children. On eight of those channels there were children that Yamaki instantly recognized as the ones that had been involved in the D-Reaper incident, but Janyu recognized two more children around Suzie's age that had claimed to be Tamers just like the others only that they shared a Digimon partner called Impmon. This was only moments before the Digimon were forced to return to the Digital world. Janyu was still pained by his actions that had sent the children's Digimon back to the Digital world. He had done it for the greater good and there had been no other solution at the time, even if it had meant that his youngest son and daughter would hate him for it.

He had to shake these disruptive thoughts from his head though so that he could carefully observe every channel. At the moment all of the children, known and unknown were all falling through space. Most of them had been rendered unconscious, but some of them were very much awake, eyes wide with fear.

"This began broadcasting all over the Japan five minutes ago," Riley reported.

"It's not just Japan," a man with a receding hairline and flowing beard objected as he walked in. This was Shibumi. "We've just been informed that this is being broadcasted on every channel all over the world. No other TV programs anywhere can air. This feed has replaced them all. There are only thirty different views no matter how many channels there are. Each channel focuses on a specific child. None of them cover anyone else do unless they are with the specific child for that channel. For instance you can't see anyone else in Rika or Takato's channel, but you can see Henry on Suzie's and Suzie on Henry's. As to who the children we don't already know are I can't be one hundred percent certain, but it seems that of the remaining twenty, eighteen are of Japanese origin and the other two are either American or English."

Yamaki immediately ordered to have all of the children ID-ed. This confirmed the identities of the ten from Shibuya prefecture, but no one from any agency in all of Japan, the United States and or even England could ID the remaining twenty. The parents of the ten children that had been ID-ed rushed to Hypnos HQ after receiving the phone call from Janyu and demanded to see Yamaki. The families of the children and any staff member that had been present during the D-Reaper incident were then gathered in a special screening room with a wall completely made up of TV screens that were all focusing on their ten children. All they could do was watch and pray that nothing bad would happen. Yamaki ordered his remaining staff to prepare suites inside the building for the families. All of them wanted to stay in order to remain in the loop and be informed on what was going on, but some of them couldn't get out of work in spite of the circumstances and had to leave for a little while. At the moment all of the children were either still falling through space or had landed somewhere unconscious. It was apparent that the ten of them had been separated in their fall except for Henry and Suzie, and Ai and Mako. The first one that had landed somewhere and wake up had been Kazu. His parents were relieved to see that he was all right for the moment. Yamaki ordered Riley to pull Kazu's channel up on the main screen and to air the audio.

Kazu appeared to be alone behind what looked like a bunch of old fashioned computer banks from the eighties. Then one of the unknown children, a boy with auburn hair wearing a pair of round goggles similar to Takato's, came into view on his screen.

"_Who are you?"_ Kazu asked the boy, straightening the visor he was wearing.

"_Actually I was just going to ask you the same question,"_ the boy said. _"I'm Davis."_

The boy held out his hand and Kazu took it.

"_Kazu,"_ he grinned. _"I was beginning to think I was alone here."_

Yamaki ordered Shibumi and Riley to find Davis's channel and pull it up on the screen next to Kazu's.

"_Davis?"_ a voice called from somewhere off both the boys' screens. _"Who are you talking to?"_

Davis was helping Kazu get out from behind the bulky computer bank as a blue dinosaur looking Digimon came into view to meet the boys.

"_Davis, who's that?"_ it asked.

"_Kazu,"_ Davis grunted as he finally pulled the boy out.

"_Thanks,"_ Kazu grinned. _"Wow! You have a Digimon too! A Veemon!"_

"_Davis who is this guy?"_ the Veemon asked.

"_Dunno,"_ Davis admitted. _"Found him while I was looking for a way to turn off the power."_

"_Why would you want to do that?"_ Kazu asked.

"_A friend of ours is stuck in the wires and we can't move him until we turn off the power source so that he won't get electrocuted,"_ Davis explained.

Without waiting for the order, Riley and Shibumi quickly scanned the channels of the unidentified children and found one focused on an older looking red haired boy who appeared to be in the same room as Kazu and the Davis kid. When they pulled it up on the screen with Kazu and Davis's, it was apparent that the boy was in trouble, tangled in a bunch of exposed cables and wires. A red insect Digimon was with him, trying to keep the boy from moving and electrocuting himself. Many of the parents gasped when they saw him. What if that happened to one of their children?

"_Wait,"_ Davis's puzzled voice echoed through the speakers and drew everyone's attention back to his screen and Kazu's_. "You said 'you have a Digimon too.' What did you mean by that? Are you saying you're a DigiDestined like I am?"_

"_A digi-what?"_ Kazu asked, confused. _"No, I'm a Tamer. A Digimon Tamer. I haven't seen him in a while, but my partner is-"_

"_Kazu!"_ a robotic voice cried out off screen like the Veemon's voice had.

The two boys and the Veemon turned towards the source of the voice and soon a large bulky iron Digimon came into view on Kazu's screen. Everyone in the room back at Hypnos recognized this Digimon except for Ai and Mako's parents who hadn't been there during the D-Reaper incident. They were the only ones in the room who didn't know a lot about Digimon.

"_Guardromon!"_ Kazu exclaimed. _"You're here!"_

"_Kazu!"_ the robot Digimon cried. _"You have no idea what I've been through! After I returned to the Digital world with the others everything seemed to be fine, but today there was a terrible electrical surge and beams from the core shot out at us and pulled us all into different fields. I arrived here and tried to perform a life form scan but there was electrical interference so I came to the source to shut it down and see if it enables me to perform my scan, but thank the Sovereign you're here!"_

"_No worries!"_ Kazu grinned. _"I'm glad you're here too."_

"_Ah Kazu?"_ Davis said, trying to catch his attention.

"_Oh yeah!"_ Kazu gasped. _"Guardromon this is Davis and his Digimon partner Veemon. They have a friend who's in trouble and needs the power shut off as soon as possible. Can you do that bud?"_

"_Roger!"_ the robot chirped, stretching out an arm shooting out tiny cables that attached themselves to the nearest computer bank.

"Processing…" the Digimon hummed, lights flashing across his eye sockets.

"…_Far wall third switch,"_ he replied finally and pointed to what must have been a wall off screen.

Davis rushed off of Kazu's screen, but his own channel didn't loose sight of him, not even for a second. He ended up tripping over another boy and as this one sat up he rubbed the back of his head he stared grumpily at Davis. Riley and Shibumi quickly searched for the new boy's channel while the two talked.

"_Thanks kid,"_ the new boy grumbled. _"The one part of my body that didn't hurt now does."_

"_Sorry about that,"_ Davis laughed, but that seemed to annoy the bigger boy.

"_Davis, whatcha doing now?"_ Veemon cried exasperatedly from Kazu's screen since he was still with Kazu and Guardromon. _"Do you wanna help Izzi or not?"_

"Izzi must be the red-head," one of the parents muttered glancing sympathetically at the poor boy's screen below Kazu's.

"_Ah!"_ Davis panicked, suddenly jumping to his feet and rushing to a wall.

"_Which one again?" _he called out.

"_Third,"_ came Guardromon replied.

"_Say,"_ the new boy said joining him. _"What are you doing?"_

Davis flipped a switch of some kind and all the screens went blank and remained dark. There wasn't even anymore audio, causing everyone's heart to sink.

"Kazu?" Kazu's mother whispered before breaking down into tears. Others near her and her husband tried to console the worried couple, but it was hardly effective. They were just as concerned for the other children as well.

"Well we now know the names of two of the unknown children: Davis and Izzi. Wish we could have gotten the name of that other kid. Try to see if we can get the feed going again," he ordered Shibumi and his team. The man nodded and all the technicians got to work on it right away.

* * *

The Human World – Adventurers: Location: Fuji TV Studio

While Yamaki was getting his workers together at Hypnos in his world, a man by the name of Hiroaki Ishida had been planning on working late again that night at the TV station he worked at in another world, but shortly after he started his shift in the afternoon he was dragged to the broadcasting room. He was horrified. All of the channels were covering the same unscheduled event and two of the channels were focused on his sons Matt and T.K. He recognized ten of the other twenty-eight children on screens as well.

"Hey Boss, aren't those your sons?" Charlie, one of his techies, asked pointing to screens eight and nine.

"Yeah," Hiroaki breathed. "But what's going on?"

"I don't have a clue sir," Charlie answered. "One minute we're broadcasting the usual programs just fine, and then the next minute everything shuts down. When we got the system back online all we got was this! We can't get any of our other programs back on."

"Have you tried rebutting the system?" Hiroaki asked.

"Yes sir," Charlie nodded. "But it won't shut down again. We are complexly locked out of our own station!"

"It's not just us," an intern by the name of Mishashi informed them. "I just got off the phone and according to other studios in the area, this is broadcasting all over Japan and they aren't able to get into their systems either."

Hiroaki sighed, running a hand down his tired face while he stared at the screens. He wasn't at all surprised when his ex, Natsuko Takaishi, called him on his cell, sounding hysteric after having seen their sons on television. Once matters were handed over to his higher ups, he headed over to Natsuko's apartment where he and the families of the other ten children were meeting. When he arrived he found that Miss Toshiko Takenouchi, the Inoue's, the Hida's, the Kamiya's and the Tachikawa's were the only families present so far. The only ones who were quite possibly even more hysterical than Natsuko over the sudden appearance of their children on TV were the Tachikawa's. They had been visiting family in the area while their daughter, Mimi, met up with the other children in Odaiba. It was through them that Hiroaki learned the identities of the two American boys on the TV, Michael Barton and Willace Globerman, who were friends of Mimi and the others from New York.

While they were waiting for the other families to arrive, Hiroaki set to work collecting as many television sets and computer monitors in the apartment, – most of them small portables – including a few monitors that had been in his van and some TV sets loaned to him from the Inoue and Hida families who lived on the floor above. He ended up with a total of fifteen screens and organized them so that fourteen surrounded the biggest screen they had. He connected them to the cable network and by the time everyone else had arrived, he had the fourteen children they knew the identities of on the fourteen outer screens, but left the large middle screen off.

"I can't believe this is happening. I thought all of this nonsense had ended two years ago after what happened with that MaloMyotismon Digimon and those kids," sobbed Mrs. Kamiya when she saw Tai lying unconscious somewhere on the small screen in the upper left corner of Hiroaki's arrangement while Kari continued to fall through space with T.K and Matt on the two top center screens and the bottom left monitor.

Many other parents nodded in agreement.

Hiroaki was scanning the screens with a modified switchboard in his lap that he'd brought with him from the TV studio. Finally something was happening on one of the screens and he flipped a few switches to pull it up on the big middle screen.

"Hey!" he called out, hushing everyone else up. "Davis is awake."

Everyone rushed over and watched Davis sit up with his Digimon partner Veemon crouching next to him. Hiroaki was about to turn on the volume when the middle screen whiteout-ed and a bright light flooded the room, blinding them all. When the light subsided a tall young man stood before them in front of the improvised wall of screens. He was tall with short brown hair on the front and sides of his head, but when he threw off his white hood they saw that the back was long and tied in a ponytail. There was a serious look on his face as he stood before them all wearing a black tunic underneath a white rob with tan trim, matching boots and a black belt tied around his waist. Hiroaki hadn't personally met this man before, but he'd talked enough with his sons and the other children to know who he was.

"You're called Gennai, aren't you?" he asked.

The young man smiled grimly.

"I am."

Gennai glanced around at the families of the DigiDestined gathered.

"I'm afraid that I have grave news for you all. In the past, my kind have tried to conceal the existence of the Digital world from yours, but now that has become impossible. Something far more powerful than us has taken control. Your children were called upon to help save the Digital world in the past, but now they have been summoned to a different Digital world for the same reason. I'm not sure if Izzi ever caught on after what happened with MaloMyotismon, but there are other alternate versions of the Digital world as well as your own that exist. I have been in contact with the other worlds frequently recently and it is my belief as well as the belief of many others from the other Digital worlds that your children have been brought to what may have been the very first Digital World to come into existence. It is an old world, far older then my own, and it's existence is being threatened. Two other groups of chosen children from different versions of your world have also been summoned. That is how grave the situation has become."

"You mean to tell me that all of those other children are from different worlds?" Masami Izumi whispered.

"Yes," Gennai nodded. "Not a different planet mind you, but a different version of Earth in a separate dimension, an alternate reality."

"Like in the new Star Trek movie?" Yolei's older brother Mantaro asked.

"I suppose that's an accurate enough example," Gennai smiled. "Each Earth is a different variation of another. On some Earths technology is more advanced, creating a more turbulent Digital World. Some of them have primitive technology and therefore have an unstable and incomplete Digital world that is in need of constant maintenance. Every version of Earth has a digital shadow world except for those that have only just begun to develop life and some sort of technology. But every world is it's own and there is no way to travel between your worlds."

"Yet there is a way to travel between the alternate Digital worlds," Hiroaki guessed. "That's why you're here. To tell us that our children are not only gone from this Earth but from it's corresponding Digital world as well. They aren't even in this dimension, or reality as you called it, anymore are they?"

Everyone was looking around at each other wildly. They might as well have just been told that their children no longer existed.

"Calm down," Gennai sighed. "Yes, it's true, _but_ there is a way to bring them back."

"But," Hiroaki pressed. "There is a condition that must be met before they can come home right?"

"Right again," Gennai grimaced. "They must complete the task that they have been summoned for."

The families looked around wildly at each other again.

"What can we do?" someone whispered.

"Can we do nothing but sit here?"

"Is there no way to help them? They are all just kids!"

"Weren't a few of them toddlers?"

"Those poor kids!"

"Can you imagine how their parents must feel?"

"I can!"

"Hold it!" Gennai said, raising his voice. "I didn't just come here to give you this information. You're your children's families. You know more about them then I do. I came here for _your_ help. I need you all to come with me. A good friend of mine is already in contact with Michael and Willace's families. If you come with me not only can you help me find a way to bring them all safely home, you will be able to keep better track of them. In this world it is possible that your technology could fail if events were to escalate and then you'd loose track of your children. It is your choice to come or not of course, but I strongly recommend that you do."

They all looked around at each other. Over the past few years their children had saved the world time and again. Very few of them had been able to really help their children at all, but here was someone who was telling them that they all had a chance to help this time. How could they say no when it meant that if they didn't, it was highly likely that they'd never see their child, brother, or sister again? With out conferring with each other they all returned their gaze to Gennai, determination set in their eyes.

"Alright then" Gennai smiled. "Come with me and I'll take you to this world Digital one."

He reached his hand out to Hiroaki who took it. Once everyone was holding hands in a clustered group, Gennai flipped a switch on Hiroaki's switchboard and that blinding light appeared again. When the light faded, they found themselves in and observation room where there were screens on every wall containing the images of every child and their partner Digimon. There were other men throughout the space that all looked exactly like Gennai. There was another flash and suddenly four other adults appeared with their own Gennai escort.

"Harry," Gennai nodded.

"Gennai," the look-a-like nodded back.

"Families of the DigiDestined," Gennai called out suddenly, making everyone jump. "Welcome to my people's home in the Digital World! This world contains your children's best dreams and their worst nightmares. Follow me and Harry and we will show you where you will be staying and how you can help."

* * *

The Human World – Frontier Location: Himi Residence

Yutaka felt like he was going insane. He couldn't understand how his parents could just calmly return home after watching Tommy and his friends disappear. He wanted to go out and look for his brother, but he had no idea where to look. He had begun to pace his room restlessly but soon found himself in Tommy's. He looked through Tommy's bookshelf looking for anything that might give him a clue as to where his brother might have ended up or how to contact the families of the other children that had vanished as well. He found old yearbooks and address books, but there was no trace of Tommy's older friends. There was a note and name in a yearbook from two years ago caught his eye though.

_Have a good summer._

_Your classmate,_

_Shinya Kanbara_

Kanbara… Now why did that name sound familiar to him? Yutaka racked his brain for the reason he recognized the name, but just couldn't make the connection. Frustrated, he stormed out of the bedroom and into the living room where his mother was on the house phone and his father was on a cell. On the table between them were all the gifts that Tommy had gotten for his birthday. With nothing better to do, Yutaka took the gifts to his little brother's room and put them on the bed. It was while doing this that he discovered a birthday card from that Takuya kid, the one that had been late to the party.

_Happy Birthday Buddy!_

_Sorry about the poor wrapping job. Would you believe me if I told you that I had to do it without using my thumbs? That takes skill you know. Besides, what are a few poorly wrapped gifts between friends? We all know that the paper just gets ripped to shreds anyway. I hope you like your present and have a great birthday buddy. _

_Takuya Kanbara_

That was it! Yutaka snatched the yearbook back off the desk where he'd left it and tried to find a phone number or address of some kind for either of the Kanbara's. He had no luck so he tried the address books. Still no luck. Yutaka cursed under his breath, kicking the nearest thing, which happened to be Tommy's school bag. Books and papers went flying everywhere, putting Yutaka in an even fouler mood. He gathered everything back up again, but paused when he came to Tommy's school binder. It had fallen open and inside he spotted a school planner. Planners were becoming even more common for students to carry around even in the younger grades these a days. Yutaka decided that it wouldn't hurt if he flipped through the planner but he stopped on the first page. Lady Luck had finally decided to grace him with her cruel presence.

The first page was an information page stating that Tommy was the owner of the planner along with a list of contact information such as e-mail, phone numbers, and a list of emergency contacts. A Takuya Kanbara was the second contact listed just under Tommy and Yutaka's parents and right above Yutaka's own information. He couldn't really rationalize it, but seeing Takuya's contact info listed before his own for emergency situations made him upset. _He_ was Tommy's older brother after all, not Takuya. Not some brat he and his parents didn't even know that well.

Reigning in his irrational anger towards an undeserving twelve year old, Yutaka took the planner out of the binder and made his way back into the living room. His mother and father were no longer on the phone so he began to dial the number listed as the one that would call Takuya's place of residence, but he stopped. Just what was he going to say exactly? "Hi, my name is Yutaka Himi. I'm calling to let you know that you're son vanished after a flash of lightening through an opening in the ground while attending my little brother's birthday party?" Yeah, that would work out well.

"Yutaka!" his mother suddenly cried out. "Honey! Come here!"

Yutaka and his father rushed over to her side in front of the TV. On the screen they could see Tommy falling while unconscious against a black background.

At that moment all of their cell phones rang.

"Hello?" all three of them answered.

"It is time," a woman's voice answered them on the other end of all three phones. "Do you wish to see Tommy Himi again?"

"Who are you?" Yutaka's father demanded. "What have you done with Tommy?"

"Take the 3:25 out bound train to Shibuya station," was all she said to them before the phones went silent.

While his parents were trading bewildered looks, Yutaka looked at the time on his phone. It was 3:10. They only had fifteen minutes to make it to the train station. Yutaka shoved his phone into his pocket and dashed towards the door.

"Yutaka!" his mother called out. "Wait for us!"

Yutaka didn't heed her words. He knew that his mother would grab her purse and his father would pull on his jacket, so while they were doing that he started the car, and would book no argument over him driving. His mother wordlessly climbed into the back seat while his father uneasily sat shotgun. Once they were in and barely buckled, Yutaka quickly backed out and drove the car to the train station that was luckily nearby. He knew that his driving frightened his parents, but he did get them there in record time only minutes before the train left. They paid for their tickets and boarded the train, sitting opposite a family with a little boy around Tommy's age. Yutaka didn't pay any attention to them at first until the parents' phones rang at the same time his family's did.

"Get on the elevator at Shibuya station. Press the button for the lowest level. There will be a train waiting for you there to get on," the voice said out of all five phones.

"You got that call as well?" Yutaka heard his mother ask the family.

"Yes," the mother said. "She said to take this train if we ever wanted to see our son Takuya again."

"Takuya?" Yutaka repeated, "He was at my brothers birthday party. They and four others disappeared all of a sudden when the party ended."

Both pairs of parents traded worried glances while their sons looked at each other. He now recognized the little boy who had to be the Shinya Kanbara in Tommy's yearbook from two years ago. It was quite a coincidence that the very family he had considered calling where on the same train. Did they live nearby like he and his family did? That could explain why Shinya Kanbara had once been in Tommy's class two years back.

When the train arrived at the station they got off and onto the elevator as instructed with a tired looking woman who had been sitting near them on the train. The elevator suddenly shook a little bit and they all realized that they were going below the actual train station. The door opened to an underground set of tracks where, as promised, a train waited for them. They boarded just before the doors closed and the train departed. They found three more pairs of parents all clutching cell phones. The woman who they had met in the elevator froze when she made eye contact with one man in particular and his wife. The man stiffened his posture when she took a hesitant step towards him.

"Kosei," Yutaka heard her whisper.

"Tomoko," the man said sadly, his wife giving him a questionable look. "I didn't think I'd be seeing you again."

"Darling," his wife said weakly. "Is this-?"

"Yes," he sighed. "This is my ex, Tomoko Kimura. Tomoko, meet my wife Satomi."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Satomi smiled weakly.

"The pleasure is all mine," Tomoko smiled back. "I've heard a lot about you from Koji."

Kosei straightened up, a dark look appearing on his features.

"You've seen Koji?" he demanded. "When?"

Yutaka and the other parents looked at each other nervously. No one wanted to be in the middle of a former lovers spat when there were children at risk, but in the confines of the train car there was no avoiding it.

Tomoko look shocked.

"Every weekend for six months," she answered. "Koichi brought him over for a visit and ever since, the two of them meet up after school with some friends and sometimes come over for the afternoon until I come home from work. He didn't tell you?"

"Who is Koichi?" Satomi asked.

"Our other son and Koji's twin brother," Tomoko answered slowly. "Didn't Kosei tell you Koji was a twin? I admit that when we separated Kosei and I had agreed that it would be better if the boys didn't know that they had a twin brother so that the divorce would be easier on them. But when Koichi brought Koji to see me I thought that you had decided to tell Koji about Koichi after all, and somehow got them to meet, but if you didn't tell Koji about Koichi… how did they meet?"

Satomi was trading confused glances with her husband when the train came to a sudden stop.

"You have arrived," the woman's voice said over the train's COM system. "Please exit the train and go up the stairs to the floor above. I will meet you there."

The spat forgotten, everyone was in such a hurry to get off the train and up the stairs the woman had talked about that no one noticed that the "train" was actually a living thing. Waiting for them up those stairs was an unusual sight. A woman with long blonde hair in green armor over a white dress with golden metal wings stood before them. The only part of her face that was visible under the helmet was her mouth and chin. Strange, perhaps, but she was still an beautiful sight to behold

"Who are you?" and awed Shinya gaped. "Are you an angle?"

"More like an angle of war," Yutaka muttered under his breath, but the woman smiled.

"My name is Lady Ophanimon," she said in the same voice they had all heard on their phones and on the train. "I am an angle type Digimon."

"A Digimon?" the little boy repeated. "What is that?"

"Digimon is short for Digital Monster," she explained. "I am not from your world, which is why I had you come here. Follow me please."

Mrs. Kanbara had to restrain her son from taking off after the strange digital monster woman.

"Wait!" she cried. "You said that we should come here if we wanted to see our children again! Where are they?"

Ophanimon paused.

"Gone," she sighed. "They were summoned to a different Digital World. Come with me and my friends and I will try to explain to you what has happened."

"Does that mean you know my brother?" Shinya and Yutaka asked in unison.

Ophanimon smiled.

"I do. Takuya Kanbara and Tommy Himi came to this world with Zoe Orimoto and J.P. Shibayama on a train very much like the one you all have just taken. Koji Minamoto arrived on a separate train but joined up with them all later. As for his twin brother, Koichi Kimura arrived here under… unusual circumstances. It was in this world in the midst of battle over the fate of this world that all of your children met and became friends. What were months for them here in this world were merely a few hours in your world. Come with me and I will explain everything in further detail as to what happened then and what is happening now."

They all followed.

So it was then that the families of all thirty chosen children watched the events of the following week unfold, all fearing for the safety of every child. A total of six worlds, three human alongside their digital counter part, tuned in to watch the chosen children's fate and that of the world they were trying to save. There wasn't one single human or Digimon that didn't cringe and hold their breath when they watched what events unfold in the white cylindrical chamber where T.K. lost consciousness in a fall and Koji attempted to save him; that didn't wince when Joe reset Davis' arm; that didn't cheer Koichi on when he battled Duskmon in the dark chamber; that didn't shed tears and mourn Takuya's death after the long battle against the Zaigou of Lust and watch his channel's screen black out; that didn't cheer for J.P., Guardromon and Cyberdramon in their fight against the Zaigou of Wrath; that didn't cry when they thought J.P. was going to die only to sigh with relieve to find out that he survived.

Six entire worlds were watching the events that unfolded many dimensions and separate realities away. Their parents got to see sides of their child that they'd never seen before. Everyone watching, human and Digimon alike, have at least one favorite DigiDestined and Digimon that they continue to watch but all are wondering the same thing no matter who they follow. Will Koichi really give himself up to the Zaigou of Laziness? Six worlds are waiting with prayers and anticipation to see what happens next. What about you? Are you watching too?

* * *

Well? Are you? Who is your favorite Digidestined and Digimon? What's going to happen to them? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

Sorry for all the dramatics at the end. :P

So what did you think? This is defiantly my longest chapter posted so far. In case you were all wondering, when Davis shut off the power in the computer room, the screens for **all** the DigiDestined blacked out in all worlds so when the power was turned back on, so were all the screens. When one of them dies, like Takuya, their channel will black out and all audio stops but the channel itself doesn't disappear. It remains as a blank channel that nothing ever plays on. It's like when you have those extra channels like HBO that if you don't pay for them they are still there, but nothing ever plays on them until you pay your cable/satellite company to have that channel. As for someone who may be severely injured or dying, their channel will fuzz in and out, so when J.P. was injured his channel would have appeared as if it had bad reception to those watching it.

As a personal note/fun factoid on this chapter Michael's last name was taken from the top name listed on the movie poster in episode 40 of Digimon 02; Michal J Barton. Willace's last name is actually his english voice actor's last name, Bob Globerman. I also made up the first names for the parents of the Kido, Motomiya, Inoue, Ichijoji, Akiyama, Shibayama, Orimoto, and Himi families as well as Ai and Mako's parents entire name. You will see more of this in future chapters. As for the other parents and siblings names, if I couldn't find their english versions, I used their japanese ones, like Hiroaki Ishida.

There was a reason I wrote this chapter, but I'd spoil the story if I told you. Let me know if there was something I was unclear about.

I also promised you all that I'd give you a list of the DigiDestined's ages. This is what I use to keep the groups straight:

Fire - Takuya (12), Takato (11), Jeri (11), Tai (17), Sora (17)

Ice - Tommy (9-10), Kenta (11), Joe (18), Cody (12), Michael (17)

Wind - Zoe (12), Henry (11), Suzie (5), Yolei (15), Mimi (16)

Thunder - J.P. (13), Kazu (11), Izzi (16), Davis (14)

Light - Koji (12), Rika (11), Matt (17), Kari (14), T.K. (14)

Darkness - Koichi (12), Ryo (11), Ai and Mako (5 & 4), Ken (14), Willace (14)

(I had a table, but when i pasted it, then saved it, it went all wonky on me) Notice that I have them all sorted by element. Some of you may have also realized that this is how I grouped them in the beginning of the story when they were all separated in the caves. This will give you an idea of who will be powered up by what medallion later on in the story. For instance, the medallion that JP holds boosts all the digimon under thunder, but it will also boost a few in a different category. Remember that this is because there are only four medallions and I have them sorted into six elements. i may also use these groupings again if the DigiDestined are ever separated.

Thank you for reading and sticking with me this far. Please send me a review! ^_^


	21. Stranger Danger

Well here's chaper 21! Many of you have been asking for me to write a Tamers piece for some time and your request has been answered! This whole chapter if from Tamer's POVs. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I was stumped on what to write for it, but I think I did alright. Enjoy!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTER!

* * *

Chapter 21: Stranger Danger

The Digital World: Location: The Woman's Guest Tower

In the guest bedroom that she'd been given, Rika was reclining on the bed with her eyes shut, but was too still to be asleep. Renamon was leaning against the adjacent wall, staring out the window while her Tamer "slept." An hour and a half ago Rika had spotted T.K. and Koichi sneak out of the palace grounds while she had been checking out her "guest suite." Mimi, her assigned next-door neighbor, had referred to their rooms as such. When the pink loving teen had invited Rika down to join her for tea in the tower's common room with Sora, Kari, Yolei and their Digimon, Rika had politely declined, saying that she was tired from their journey and only wanted to rest. When the other girls were gone Rika told Renamon what she'd seen. Now they were waiting.

"They have returned Rika," Renamon reported when the fox Digimon saw the two figures of T.K. and Koichi race across the grounds with a couple Otokomon and enter a back door that was one floor directly below Rika's room.

"Good," Rika nodded. "We don't need idiots like them fooling around outside with that Zaigou on the loose, especially Koichi of all people. He's sure got guts for sneaking out when he's the one that the Zaigou are after."

Renamon smiled; amused that this was coming from her Tamer who used to sneak out on a regular basis before the relationship with her mother had improved.

"Is someone dealing with them?" Rika asked.

Renamon paused, straining her ears to see if she could pick up on any sounds from the floor below. At first there was nothing, but then she could hear a soft but admonishing voice speaking with T.K. and Koichi's louder voices. She tried to put a name to the voice but came up empty.

"Well?" Rika asked impatiently.

"I'm not sure," Renamon answered truthfully. "I don't recognize the voice talking to them. It sounds human, so it could be one of the other DigiDestined, but I've never heard this person speak before."

"It could be that Cody kid," Rika shrugged. "I don't think I've heard that brat speak once."

"You could be right. He doesn't speak much, which could account for why I wouldn't recognize his voice, but- Wait…" Renamon paused.

The voices had suddenly shifted towards the hallway. Renamon took up a new position near the bedroom door so that she would have a better chance of listening. She couldn't make out what was being said, but a new voice had joined the other three. One that she recognized very well.

"Tai's found them," Renamon reported.

"Even better," Rika grinned. "He'll deal with them."

"Why are you so concerned about T.K. and Koichi, Rika?" Renamon asked.

Rika paused for a moment before she opened her eyes and sat up.

"You remember when that Takuya guy died right?" she whispered.

Renamon nodded slowly.

"I don't think any of us will be forgetting about that anytime soon."

"That's exactly the point," Rika muttered. "Remember when Jeri lost Leomon? It was like something had died within her. She was left vulnerable and the D-Reaper took advantage of that. Koji had a similar look in his eyes when Takuya died. His eyes didn't quite have that dead look in them, like Jeri's, but if Koichi, his _twin _brother, were to be killed by this Paressemon… And T.K. He's got an older brother and that Kari girl… I just don't want to see that look in anyone else's eyes. It's too sad. When Takuya died, it made me realize that it wouldn't take much. We humans are pathetically fragile, Renamon. So fragile that we have to rely on you Digimon to fight our battles for us. Well, except those Warrior DigiDestined. They are stronger then normal, but they are still human. Still weak."

"Now stop that Rika," Renamon said softly, but firmly. "You humans are very strong. If it weren't for you, none of us Digimon could Digivolve. None of us could fight. We Digimon can be weak creatures too. But together, you humans and we Digimon can form the strongest of bonds. Together there is nothing that can beat us. We can do anything we set out to do. I believe that we can beat these Zaigou. You've all allowed the death of Takuya to hinder your efforts. You've begun to doubt! Don't you see Rika? If you allow the Zaigou to fill your minds with doubt they will win! We have to believe in ourselves. Believe that we can win and we will."

Rika smiled at Renamon, but jumped when she heard someone clapping. Renamon whirled around and came face to face with Cyberdramon and Ryo who were standing in a now open doorway.

"Lovely speech Renamon," Ryo smiled. "What did you think, Cyberdramon?"

Cyberdramon nodded mutely.

"What do you want Ryo?" Rika growled.

"Nothing in particular, Princess of the Tower," Ryo smiled. "No one has seen you since the meeting so I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I have Renamon with me," Rika frowned. "Of course I'm alright."

"That's what Takato said," Ryo shrugged. "I just wanted to make sure for myself, but since you are apparently fine I suppose we should be leaving then."

Cyberdramon was already heading back down the hallway, uncomfortable with Rika's hostile stare, but Ryo hung back for a second.

"Renamon's right you know," he said with his back to her. "I can't tell you how many times I thought I was inadequate to be a real Tamer, but together there isn't anything I can't do with Cyberdramon at my side. The same goes for you and Renamon. Isn't that right?"

"Ryo," Rika blinked with surprise.

"Food for thought," Ryo shrugged before following Cyberdramon back down stairs. "Don't stay up here by yourself for too long Rika. The others will start to worry too."

"Too?" Rika repeated, but he was gone.

"I think Ryo is rather fond of you Rika," Renamon mused.

"Don't be stupid Renamon," Rika muttered indignantly, but was unable to prevent the blush from creeping into her cheeks. "Fine, the two idiots are back, so let's take that Mimi girl up on her offer for tea. I could use something to drink."

"If you wish," Renamon nodded, trying to hide her small smile.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Himizu Palace Halls

Kenta and Kazu were exploring the many halls and corridors of the palace. Guardromon was marching obediently behind them while Marineangemon whizzed around their heads, sometimes flying ahead to inspect a painting or tapestry and the occasional odd-looking door.

"Why are we exploring the castle again?" Kenta asked as they paused before a rather funny looking painting of a sleeping Shogunmon.

"Because all old castles have at least one secret room and we're going to find it," Kazu stated matter of factly. "We've got nothing better to do anyways since we're stuck inside this place until we leave. Guardromon, are you getting any weird sort of readings? Like an odd hidden room?"

"Negative," the robot Digimon beeped.

Kenta sighed and then watched Marineangemon zoom around the hall. He remembered the time he'd first spent with the little Digimon. Kenta himself wasn't much of a fighter, but after the excitement of finally becoming a Tamer had worn off, he had been rather disappointed to get Marineangemon for a partner. The little guy may have been a mega, but he wasn't a fighter like Renamon or a powerhouse like Guilmon. Even Terriermon, who was cute-looking like Marineangemon, could at least fight, especially in his higher evolutions. As a mega, Marineangemon didn't have any higher form. At the time Kenta knew that he should be proud that he was the only Tamer to have a mega leveled Digimon for a partner, but Marineangemon was just so peaceful and wouldn't hurt a fly. It was much later during the D-Reaper incident that Marineangemon showed off his defensive-offensive abilities that had made Kenta begin to appreciate him more as a partner. In many ways they were well suited for each other.

Suddenly the little pink Digimon squealed, attracting both Tamers' attension.

Kenta rushed to his Digimon and found himself staring at another odd looking doorway. It was slanted and looked like it was too warped to open.

"What's this?" Kazu asked, excitement lighting up his eyes.

"Open it! Open it!" squealed the little Digimon happily, zooming around Kenta's head. In the early days this had made Kenta dizzy, but he was used to it by now.

"Any unusual readings Guardromon?" Kazu asked, casting a slightly annoyed look at the energetic puffball.

"…Most unusual," Guardromon exclaimed. "It is a door, but I am not getting any readings of a room beyond. It is as if this door was installed with no functional use at all."

"You mean it's a decorative art piece like the paintings?" Kazu asked looking put out.

While Kazu and Guardromon talked, Kenta ran a hand over the frame and it's weird angles. He soon realized that the door was not a door at all. It was actually an intricately carved part of the wall made to look like a door. Marineangemon was now inspecting the wall-door as well, humming a rather catchy song. Kenta soon found himself humming the song while they prodded and looked over the "door."

"Let's move on," Kazu sighed. "Maybe there is something further down the hall. What do you think Guardromon?"

"I think we should cease this pointless search completely," Guardromon beeped. "My scans pick up no hidden rooms nor do I believe that they will detect any."

Just at that moment, Marineangemon prodded the "door handle" and the floor beneath them suddenly gave way. Marineangemon soared after his Tamer and actually sat in his lap to join the "ride," screaming happily with the terrified boys and robot. Kenta held onto him for dear life. They were quickly descending down an old musty tube slide that spat them out in a cold and dank room. Kenta had bounced off of Guardromon, but Kazu had done the same thing and landed on top of his friend. Marineangemon, who had abandoned his Tamer in the midst of landing, was laughing with delight as he whizzed in circles overhead.

"You were sure right about not detecting anything, Guardromon," Kazu gasped sarcastically. "Were you even searching the lower floors?"

Guardromon gave an indignant beep, protesting that he'd found nothing unusual about the scans and that the shaft they'd just fallen through shouldn't exist.

"Well it's looks pretty real to me," Kazu growled.

"Lights would be nice," Kenta groaned under Kazu.

"Yeah," Kazu agreed shakily. "Guardromon? Some light please? And Kenta, can't you get Marineangemon to shut it? He's giving me a headache."

Guardromon did what his Tamer had asked of him and turned his head lights on. Kenta grunted and after Kazu was off of him, he reached up and snatched his partner out of the air, holding him close. Rather than be offended and hurt by the action, Marineangemon snuggled in his Tamers arms and purred softly. Kazu sighed with exasperation when he got a look at them.

"You're partner's nuts Chumley," he griped, calling Kenta by his nickname.

Kenta ignored him as Kazu continued with the usual witty and scathing comments. Kenta instead looked around the now illuminated space. There wasn't much to look at. The walls and ceiling appeared to be made of cinderblock, but the floor was damp earth. The air smelled musty like the tube slide, but not enough to make any of them sneeze. The space was empty and unused and looked to have been that way for a long time. Not one moldy box or crate occupied the space. There were torches mounted on the wall though, engraved with a mysterious insignia. Kenta walked over to one to get a better look, but ended up casting a shadow over it.

"Hey Kazu!" he called over to his still ranting friend. "Come look at this!"

"What'd ya find?" Kazu asked, darting over.

"Don't know," Kenta admitted, "but could you have Guardromon aim his light here?"

With only a hand sign from Kazu, Guardromon wordlessly shined his light on the torch's housing. The insignia was elaborate, yet simple and looked oddly familiar, but neither boy could remember where they'd seen it. They knew that they hadn't seen this exact symbol before, but the basic lines of the character in the middle stirred some memory. There were three even vertical parallel lines. The middle line continuing down a little bit until it branched off into two. Then the ends of these two lines were directly below the other two upper lines, they continued straight down as if they were a continuation of the ones above. It was Guardromon who was the first to figure it out.

"That character is the same symbol for 'fire' that was on Agunimon's belt and the forehead of his facemask below the center horn," he beeped.

"Oh yeah!" Kazu yelped. "Wow! I had totally forgotten about that."

Kenta gave him an incredulous look.

"I meant the symbol!" Kazu protested. "Of course I haven't forgotten the actual dude! That'd be insensitive and rude to the guy's memory!"

Kenta rolled his eyes behind his glasses and continued to inspect the symbol. A flame pattern and many other squiggly lines surrounded the 'fire' character, but none of it made any sense. If he squinted, it looked like fireworks or sparks were spurting out of the center top line. But what did it mean?

"Here's a thought," Kazu said, trying to recover from his blunder. "What's the Warrior's symbol for fire doing down here in the underground of a city in the middle of a frozen wasteland? Wouldn't that Tommy kid's symbol for ice be more appropriate?"

"That is a rather good question Kazu," Guardromon stated.

"Don't act so surprised," Kazu grumbled.

"You wouldn't happen to have a lighter on you, would you Kazu?" Kenta asked.

"Do I look like that joker smoker Yamaki?" Kazu frowned.

Dimensions away, the real Yamaki was grumbling at the comment and shoving his Zippo lighter into his pocket, ignoring Riley's amused glance.

"Allow me," Guardromon sighed, using an arm flare to light the torch. The moment it made contact with the torch's oiled fuel source, it and all the other torches flared to life.

"Wow," Kazu gasped. "No one is going to believe this."

"This isn't exactly one of the top ten weirdest things to happen in this world," Kenta whispered.

"A tunnel! It's a tunnel! It's a tunnel!" cheered an excited Marineangemon squirming in Kenta's arms.

Kenta and Kazu turned to their left and, sure enough, there was a large tunnel leading further down into the earth.

"Do we go?" Kenta asked nervously.

"Of course!" Kazu grinned. "This is exactly the sort of thing we've been looking for! We can't turn back now! Besides, what are you going to do? We slid down a freaking tube slide. Who knows how far down we've come? How are you going to get back up? Fly?"

Kenta was about to retort that Marineangemon would have no problem getting him out of there, but he let the retort die on his tongue. He wasn't going to leave Kazu down in the tunnel all by himself, so he followed his friend instead. The tunnel seemed endless, but then it eventually branched out in different directions.

"Aw man!" Kazu huffed with frustration. "Which way do we go? Any ideas Guardromon?"

"Negative," the robot sighed. "My readings and scans are malfunctioning. I cannot even track our previous steps. We are, as you say, winging it."

"So if we go any further we're lost," Kenta sighed.

Marineangemon whimpered a little as he looked at all the tunnels before them, but then suddenly shot out of Kenta's arms.

"What is it?" Kenta asked, alarmed by his Digimon's sudden behavior.

"There's a boy over there!" Marineangemon squeaked.

"What?" they all gasped, following the tiny Digimon's gaze.

Far off down the second tunnel to their left stood a person in reddish-brown robes that looked like the ones worn by the Jedi in Star Wars. The hood was drawn over the upper part of the person's face, but he did appear to be a boy like Marineangemon had said. He was short in stature, but the robes masked any other outstanding physical features. Something was off about him, but no one could find a word to describe what that was. The strange boy suddenly bolted and ran out of sight.

Kazu instinctively ran after the stranger, leaving the others no choice but to follow him.

"Are you sure we should be following him?" Kenta panted.

"You got any better ideas?" Kazu yelled.

When they reached the end of the tunnel and saw that it branched out in three directions they spotted the boy again on the right. Every time they came to an intersection of tunnels, the boy was waiting for them at the end of one and would run off as soon as they spotted him. This went on for what seemed like hours, but when they finally reach one intersection, the boy didn't run away when they came after him. He allowed them to get closer, but before they could get near him he began to fade out and vanished completely. What was worse was that the tunnel he'd led them to was a dead end and none of them could recall the way they'd come.

"Who was that guy?" Kenta huffed, leaning against a wall trying to catch his breath.

"Dunno," Kazu sighed, plopping down onto the floor. "Now we're lost even more then we were before. Do your scans still not work Guardromon?"

"Affirmative," the Digimon sighed sadly. "Systems are still malfunctioning."

Marineangemon rested on top of his Tamer's head and began to whine softly. Kenta knew that he'd have to do something soon, or Kazu would get irritated again.

"That guy had to have led us here for some reason," he pointed out. "What was the point in waiting for us when he could have gotten away easily. He didn't even look out of breath."

"He wanted us to get lost," Kazu grumbled. "And that's exactly what we are. Lost."

"I'd like to know is how he vanished like that," Guardromon twittered.

Curious about how the strange boy had vanished, Kenta got up and looked at the ground in the general area he had disappeared. The dirt where the boy had stood was barely disturbed. This peaked Kenta's interest.

"What are you doing Chumley?" Kazu sighed.

"Just wondering what would happen if I stood where he stood," Kenta mused. "Would I disappear like that boy did?"

Kazu cocked his head to the side and watched Kenta, with Marineangemon on his shoulder, placed his feet in the two indentations in the earth. A strange feeling surged throughout Kenta's body and when he looked down at his hands he found that he was fading just like the strange boy had. Kazu let out an alarmed cry, but when he reached out to grab his rapidly disappearing friend, his hand when right through him. Just like that, Kenta and Marineangemon were gone. Kazu stared at the spot for a moment before grabbing Guardromon's arm and standing in the same spot Kenta had just disappeared from. He too felt something weird going on with his body, making him tighten his grip on the confused Guardromon. One minute Tamer and Digimon were standing in the tunnels and the next they were in a strange room facing Kenta's back.

"Chumley!" Kazu sighed with relief. "Thank goodness. I thought you might have been a goner there buddy."

When Kenta and Marineangemon didn't respond, Kazu looked past his friend and saw the strange boy that they had followed through the tunnels. He was no longer wearing his hood and was staring at them with golden eyes. Kazu and Guardromon gasped when they saw him but before they could cry out in alarm their minds suddenly went blank. Their faces became expressionless and if they could have turned to look, they'd see that Kenta and Marineangemon were wearing the same expression. They all forgot everything that had happened over the past couple of hours and when they snapped out of their daze, they found themselves in bed in their rooms. For all they knew, after the meeting they'd been shown to their rooms and fell asleep.

* * *

The Human World – Tamers: Location: Hypnos HQ

"Rewind that," Yamaki ordered Shibumi. "Rewind the footage to just before Kenta blacked out. Riley, do the same for Kazu."

Both of them did as they were told and freeze-framed the feed from Kazu and Kenta's channels. Yamaki and his employees had been working on recording the system for days, and now they had finally figured it out. It was simple really. All they had to do was record it as if it were a regular program. They had hundreds of tapes used up already covering every channel.

"Got it sir," Riley reported. "Pulling the images up onto the screen."

Yamaki watched them as the big screen flashed and two images appeared side by side. Both of them showed a figure with golden eyes, but they were poor shots of him at odd angles and only the eyes were in focus in either image, since the main focus of every shot was supposed to be the DigiDestined it covered.

"Can you clear them up?" Yamaki asked.

"Hold on," Shibumi muttered as he bent over his keyboard. "How's this?"

The image cleared, but not enough to see the rest of the figure's face clearly.

"The figure appears to be male with dark brown hair," Riley reported. "We can't get any more of then that. I'm sorry sir."

Yamaki growled, clicking his lighter in aggitation.

"Pull up any other images of the boy we have and see if there is a clearer shot," he ordered.

Shibumi and Riley typed away, runing over footage for fifteen minutes before Riley found a good shot of the strange boy. It was of him fading away, but in this image, his hood was raised slightly. She enhanced the grainy image as best as she could and the result was incredible. She couldn't beleive what she was seeing, but she uploaded the image to the big screen for Yamaki and Shibumi to view.

"Is that-?" Shibumi gasped.

"It can't be," Yamaki whispered. "That's-!"

* * *

Who is the strange boy? Another of the Zaigou? What does his appearance mean for the DigiDestined? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

Cliff hanger! Mwa ha ha ha! Who is this strange boy? Not even I know that yet! :P

Did you guys like this chapter? It was a filler and I'm still a little unsure about it, but the story is deffinatly going to pick up again in next chapter. I'm going to revert back to TK, Koji and Koichi's POV next time so bare with me for a little bit. I will hopefully have it posted is a few days. I also have a poll running for what might be my next fic. Id appreciate it if you all not only sent me a review of this chapter, but if you also took the time to respond to my poll. Please and thank you! Look forward to the next chapter you guys!


	22. Tunnels and Spooks

Here's chapter 22! This one was a little hard to write, but I think it turned out OK. I'd just like to thank daira-strumer and Oscuridad en las estrellas for sending me my first spanish (essentially non-english that needed to be translated) reviews! You don't know how excited I am to hear from non-english speakers! All I can say is thank you two for taking the time to read my story and thank God for Google Translator! ^w^

I also have to thank Just Wait and See for making an awesome video on youtube for promoting my fic! I watched it like twenty times after I was sent the link. I'd love to see more of those in the future! It makes me feel great and inspired as a writer to see that someone enjoys my work so much that they'd take the time to make something like that. It would be horrible for me to ask you guys to make some more of those so I won't ask that of you guys, but if you'd like to see what Just Wait and See made for me here's the link (it wouldn't let me paste the link together so you just need to take out the spaces that I had to insert so that it would post):

http:/ /www. youtube .com/ watch?v=hnFL0MXBqPo

Thank you _**all**_ for reading. Especially Immortal Fallen Radiance, SuishoTalim, XxGaaraXRukixX, and all of the others who have been with me since the first posting of this fan fic. Please continue to read this fan fic of mine and may you all enjoy chapter 22.

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 22: Tunnels and Spooks

The Digital World: Location: The Men's Guest Tower

After everyone was shooed out of the infirmary by an Otokomon, Koji retired to the room he shared with Koichi and Tommy. It hadn't been his intention to fall asleep, but one moment he was staring up at the ceiling and the next he found himself wandering in a maze of tunnels. He had no idea where he was or where he was headed, but his feet moved onward of their own accord, guiding him. He came to a dead end, but after he stopped the scene shifted and the tunnels disappeared. He was then standing in a room with curtained walls and coarse carpet, but there was no furniture occupying the space.

He wasn't alone in the room. A figure that appeared to be a boy in brown robes stood before him with a hood drawn over his face. Something golden glinted at him underneath the cowl. The strange boy reached out a gloved hand, beckoning Koji to come with him. The figure seemed familiar to Koji so he instinctively reached out to take the hand, but a voice stopped him.

"Don't," it said. "Don't touch him."

Koji froze, his hand pulling back slightly.

"Takuya?" he gasped.

"Don't let him touch you Koji," the voice warned him again.

Koji withdrew his hand completely and took a step back. The strange boy before him growled softly with irritation and began to reach for his hood.

"Turn away!" the voice said urgently. "Don't look him in the eyes."

Koji quickly turned away just as the hood was drawn back. The figure approached him and reached out for his hand again. Koji balled his hands into fists and shoved them into his pockets, taking another step back, careful not to look anywhere near the it's face. The figure let out a huff of frustration and reached out for him again, intending to grab him, but a barrier of flame erupted around Koji, shielding him. Koji's eyes widened with surprise and the figure halted back, arms raised to shield itself. The flames took on Takuya's form, making him look like a flaming ghost that was both radiant and terrifying to behold.

Koji stared, shocked, when he saw his dead friend standing before him, but now he also saw the stranger he had been warned against seeing. The boy looked identical to Takuya himself only with golden eyes instead of amber brown. The two Takuya's glared at each other, flaming amber clashing against broiling gold. The solid Takuya growled at the flaming ghost Takuya, but he pulled his hood back up over his face and vanished. When he was gone, Takuya turned to face Koji, still nothing more than a flame apparition. They way he looked reminded Koji of the way Takuya had appeared when he was trapped inside his own mind. The only difference was that his image now was more solid and stable instead of weak and faded.

"Who was that?" Koji asked shakily.

The image shrugged nonchalantly in a way that was so Takuya.

"Someone you wouldn't want to meet in a dark alley?" he mused.

Koji smiled sadly. He knew he was dreaming, but it felt so real. Only the real Takuya would answer a serious question with a joke. The two of them looked at each other and shared an unreal moment.

"Who did he look like?" Takuya suddenly asked him.

"What?" Koji asked puzzled. "What do you mean, 'Who did he look like?' He looked like _you_! Or were you too busy having a staring contest to notice?"

"He looked like me?" Takuya asked softly, a sad look entering his eyes.

"Shouldn't he have?" Koji asked, confused by Takuya's reaction.

"I suppose," Takuya sighed, rubbing the back of his head the way he always did when he was nervous or embarrassed. "His appearance depends on who sees him. He usually looks different to every person because he takes on the form of whoever that person wants or expects to see. You saw me because you apparently wanted to, or you saw me because I was who you were thinking about at the time."

"Who is he?" Koji asked.

"No clue," Takuya shrugged. "I don't know his name, but I do know that you shouldn't get to close to him. He works for the Zaigou. Not sure which one though."

"Why did he want me to go with him?" Koji asked. "And how do you know all of this?"

"Who knows?" Takuya mused. "This is your dream. Maybe it's because you're the Warrior of Light. It's possible that you're not the only one he's after you know. Ever think of that? The whole world doesn't revolve around ya, you know, Koji."

Koji rolled his eyes, making Takuya chuckle. Suddenly Koji felt the whole room shake, but Takuya seemed unfazed by it.

"Looks like it's time for you to wake up," Takuya smiled ruefully. "Nap time is over buddy."

Koji's heart ached as the scenery and the flame apparition of Takuya started to fade. He didn't want to wake. Not yet. Takuya hadn't answered his other question and there was still so much he wanted to ask his friend, but he knew that this was only a dream and, like every dream, it had to end. Koji jolted upward reaching towards his flaming friend, but he was back in his guest bedroom with Koichi, who had been kneeling at his bedside trying to wake him up. Koji's sudden movement had startled Koichi.

"Are you alright?" Koichi said uncertainly. "Koji?"

"I'm fine," Koji sighed, rubbing his eyes. "What's up?"

"Dinner is ready," Koichi answered. "Tai wants everyone there so that we can discuss what we should do next."

Koji nodded and accompanied Koichi to the dinning hall. On the way there they ran into Kenta, Kazu and their Digimon.

"Looks like we weren't the only ones getting some shut eye," Kazu yawned.

Koji frowned, unconsciously smoothing out his sleep wrinkled clothes.

"Don't worry 'bout it tough guy," Kazu grinned, clapping Koji on the shoulder. "It's not uncommon to just nod off when you least expect it."

Koji stiffened. It wasn't because of Kazu's hand on his shoulder or what the boy had said, but the moment Kazu's hand came in contact with his shoulder Koji started seeing things. Kenta in front of an odd warped door, an empty chamber, a strange version of the warrior's symbol for "fire", the maze of tunnels, the strange robed boy, the strange boy disappearing, Kenta and Marineangemon disappearing, the empty curtained room, the strange boy without his hood… Takuya.

"Hey Koji!" a voice – Kazu's – echoed in his head. "Dude, what's up?"

"Koji!" Koichi's voice cried.

Koji finally snapped out of it. He realized that he must have collapsed or something because he was on the floor.

"Are you alright?" he heard Kenta asked.

"I'm fine," Koji grunted and gave his head a shake to clear the sudden dizziness he was now experiencing. When he glanced up he jerked back a bit out of surprise. Marineangemon had been hovering just a few inches from his face.

"Sorry!" Kenta squeaked, snatching his Digimon partner back.

Koji stood slowly as he watched the pink fluff ball squirm and giggle in Kenta's grasp. The little guy easily got free and decided to perch on Koji's shoulder. It snuggled against his neck and purred.

"Marineangemon," Kenta sighed.

"It's no big deal," Koji mumbled as he gently picked the little guy up and handed him back to his Tamer. "He must be a handful."

Kenta nodded.

"So what happened to you?" Kazu asked. "You looked like you were having a fit or something."

Koji frowned, but before he could give them any kind of answer Rika and Renamon stormed in on them.

"There you all are," Rika glared. "We're all waiting on you guys."

"Sorry," Koichi and Kenta apologized, but Kazu and Koji just snorted. Rika put her hands on her hips, gave Koichi a knowing yet piercing look, but instead of saying anything she turned on her heel and left with Renamon. The four boys and two Digimon traded glances, chuckled, and followed the haughty Rika.

As they had been told, they were the last ones to arrive. Koji and Koichi quickly joined Tommy, Zoe and J.P. who'd been declared well enough to eat with everyone. Kenta and Kazu went to sit with Henry and Takato. Koji noticed that Tai sat at the head of the table with Genbumon. The two of them were deep in conversation and kept glancing at the medallion that the wizen Lord wore around his neck. The meal was immediately served now that everyone was present and afterwards they all settled back in their seats waiting for either Tai or Lord Genbumon to get down to business. Finally Tai stood up and addressed everyone.

"Before we ate, Lord Genbumon and I discussed what we should do next. Tonight he wishes to pass on his Medallion of Ice to the Warrior of Ice, Tommy."

Koji had to hide his smile when the small boy next to him jumped and straightened up in his seat. Even though the youngest Warrior DigiDestined was the obvious candidate for ownership of the Ice Medallion, Tommy himself hadn't felt it right that he should be allowed to hold such a heavy responsibility. Koji felt that there was no doubt that Tommy had thought that Joe, even though he was not a warrior, would have been the best candidate in holding the medallion. In some ways, Joe would have been a respectable choice, but he wasn't a warrior and none of the other warriors were even close enough in attribute to take possession of the medallion. Maybe if they had a Warrior of Water, that would have been all right, but Tommy was the only real choice for this medallion.

"Please step forth, young man," Lord Genbumon ordered in that soft yet firm voice of his.

Tommy slowly rose from his seat and, after a reassuring clap on the back from Zoe and J.P., hurried up to the dais. Tommy stood at attention as Genbumon locked eyes with him much like Lord Byakkomon had done with J.P. It was silent for a moment before Genbumon broke the contact and lifted the medallion from around his neck.

"Warrior of Ice," Genbumon said repeating the same words Byakkomon had spoken only a couple days ago. "I find you a worthy candidate and charge you with the care and the power of this medallion. May you lead your friends strongly into battle, and safely out of harms way. With this in your possession all water and ice type Digimon will have the power to Digivolve to their highest level and give you an advantage in any type of battle field, but you'll always be at your strongest in any field with a water source."

Tommy bowed and allowed the old Digimon Lord to place the medallion around his neck. When he returned to his seat Koji noticed that it was made out of some clear crystal with a turtle looking creature in its center.

"Now we have two of the four element medallions," Tai stated, "so the question is which one do we go after next? Lord Genbumon wants to tell us the prophecy that Lord Byakkomon mentioned to us before we left Sekizou City."

Genbumon sat down again before he spoke, his voice taking on the low rumble of an ancient and experienced storyteller.

"Back when this world were still young, a prophecy was presented to me by the first living being that existed on its soil. He was ancient and wise and could tell you what the weather would be like with just a glance at the sky or how your day would be with just a look in your eyes. Everyone revered this great being for ages. But he was dying and had one last prophecy to give. It was beside his deathbed back, in the days of my youth, that I kneeled and listened to what he had to say. He said:

"Hundreds of years from now, when this peaceful land is on the verge of falling into darkness, thirty youths will one day appear. Fourteen of the Chosen Ones will represent the nine virtues. Ten others will be holders of innocence and harmony. The final six will be warriors of the elements. They will be separated upon their arrival, but will be reunited into one gathering. Together they will set out to retrieve the four medallions of power, one for every corner gateway for this world. Once the four medallions are found, the path will be laid before them to find the fourteen Virtuous Crystals and the twelve Harmony Stones. The Harmony stones will keep this world in balance and the Virtuous Crystals will bring its people together to rise up against the great evil twelve. Only with all thirty items will the chosen ones succeed. It is with great urgency that I give you three following prophecies. One foretelling the journey for the medallions, one foretelling the locations of the stones and one foretelling the locations of the crystals."

Lord Genbumon paused before continuing.

"I will only tell you the one that he told me for the medallions. When you have all four medallions return here for the other two. The first prophecy foretells your first encounters with the Zaigou. You may notice that some of it has already occurred. It goes:

"Shorty after their arrival before their adventure can even begin, a Warrior will fall in the process of the Lustful one's destruction. May his ashes rise up to the havens and the remaining twenty-nine morn his passing. Thunder will come to claim the Medallion of the West and soon after face the great evil's Wrath and survive, but will become marked with a vengeful symbol. Ice will claim the Medallion of the North next, during an uncertain time when the Sloth chooses how to play her deadly games. A shadow looms over the chosen as they decide to pursue the fire of the South or the wooden mountains of the East. Hope will give way to Darkness and the lazy one will be let loose, ultimately deciding their fate. During this critical time, a new Flame will ignite and take the place of the fallen warrior. The Greedy and Envious evils will rise up to stamp out the new flame, but if the Light shines true, their efforts will be for not. Young and strong, the new Warrior will become the strongest of the Warriors and lead them to the fall of Pride and allow Wind to take up the final medallion and ward off Gluttony. United and strong once again, the chosen ones will prepare for their search for the Stones and Crystals on their mission to purge the world of its evils."

Everyone was silent as they let the prophecy sink in.

"I warn you not to get complacent," Genbumon warned them. "Just because the prophecy says that you all will succeed in gaining all four medallions, doesn't mean that none of you will avoid danger. There are four other Zaigou you have yet to meet and each one will be tougher than the last. It is essential that you get these medallions quickly."

"What you said about Hope giving way to Darkness concerns me," Matt said, glancing at his brother and Koichi. "Any idea what that could mean?"

Tai and Genbumon shook their heads.

"That's the one uneasy part I find with this thing," Tai sighed. "Watch yourselves you two."

T.K. and Koichi nodded.

"The only thing to do is let things work themselves out," Koji stated. "I'm more concerned about this new Warrior of Flame. I don't like the idea of finding someone that will replace Takuya. No one can take his place."

The room grew uneasily silent.

"But," Koji sighed. "It does say that this new warrior will lead us to defeat the unknown Zaigou of Pride and fight off the Zaigou of Gluttony, right? So I suppose he can't be that bad."

Relief was evident as held in breaths were released around the table.

"So I take it we're going south?" Zoe asked.

"That's what I think we should do," Tai nodded. "The prophecy said that Wind, you Zoe, would take up the final medallion, and that tells me that we go for that one last. Time to trade in ice for sand, guys. The only problem is, is that we'd have to go through the heart of the enemy's territory just to get there."

"Not necessarily," Koji muttered, thinking back to his dream.

"What was that Koji?" Matt asked.

"I said that that might not be the case," Koji spoke louder. "I know this might sound crazy, Lord Genbumon, but is there a series of tunnels underneath the city heading south?"

Lord Genbumon's eyes widened in surprise.

"Yes, there are tunnels going not only south, but in every other direction as well," the old man rasped. "The tunnels themselves form an intricate maze that very few could navigate, but the passageway to get to them has long since been sealed. Any other entrance to the catacombs below is unknown to me, so how is it that you know about the tunnels?"

"Like I said," Koji shrugged. "It may sound crazy, but I was shown a maze of tunnels in a dream. There has to be an entrance to get down there that you remain unaware of. Maybe a secret entrance or trap door?"

"Ah!" Kazu and Kenta gasped, startling everyone.

"I remembered!" Kazu cried, glancing wildly at Kenta. "Remember what we did after the meeting this afternoon?"

"Yeah," Kenta nodded. "You and I were looking for secret or hidden rooms in the castle."

"Why would you idiots do something so stupid?" Rika scowled.

"Shush!" Kazu held up a hand, palm out, at her. "Guardromon's scanners didn't pick anything up, but on the forth floor-!"

"That warped door carving," Kenta picked up, "that Marineangemon found turned out to be a trapdoor that dropped us down a slide and into some dark room with a weird version of the Warrior of Flame's symbol on the torches housings. There was a maze of tunnels, but they branched off in different directions."

"We followed a guy wearing what looked like Jedi Robes," Kazu took over. "He led us down the tunnels to a dead end! He had just vanished! Kenta stood where he had and vanished too! I followed with Guardromon and we ended up in this weird room! My mind's a blank as to what happened after that, but I remember seeing the guy without his hood!"

"I did too," Kenta gasped.

"It was Takuya!" they cried in unison.

Several people exchanged bewildered looks.

"No it wasn't," Koji sighed, interrupting the sudden uproar that was breaking out.

"What do you mean?" Kazu exclaimed. "You weren't there! You only saw it in a dream!"

"I saw it when you touched my shoulder earlier," Koji stated.

"You mean when you had that fit?" Kazu asked, puzzled.

"Pretty much. Tell me, did Takuya have golden eyes?" Koji asked.

"Yes," Kenta and Kazu said slowly, trading confused glances.

"Then it wasn't the real Takuya," Koji sighed, his expression sad and disappointed. "That boy you saw was merely using his form. Because you saw the warrior's symbol of flame, you must have unconsciously expected the boy to be Takuya. This guy's actually a spy for the Zaigou."

"And how do you know all of this?" Tai asked.

Koji then proceeded to tell everyone about his strange dream and what Takuya had told him and by the end of his explanation, everyone was silent.

"So apparently we can use the tunnels," Matt mused, "but we'll have to be careful down there if there's a Zaigou's lackey running about."

Many others nodded in agreement.

"So you're psychic now?" Koichi whispered, grinning at his twin.

Koji grimaced.

"Who knows," he groaned. "First you gain a power, then J.P., now me. I suppose Tommy is next and then it's only a matter of time before Zoe gets one too."

The five warriors traded amused glances and sighed. Things were sure getting stranger and stranger in this world.

"Well then," Tai called out, gaining everyone's attention again. "Get a good night's rest tonight. You're going to need it. We'll set out first thing tomorrow. Kenta and Kazu, I want you to show be where this trap door to the tunnels is, and Koji, I'd appreciate it if you tell me about any other dreams you have about upcoming events. Especially any that Takuya speaks to you in."

Koji nodded and Kenta and Kazu left with Tai and their Digimon to show him where the trap door was.

"What now?" Zoe asked.

"Go to sleep," Koji stated simply. "Especially you J.P. Do you think you'll be up for a long journey?"

J.P. sighed. "I've got a few more treatments before we leave in the morning, but I should be good to go. Besides, I gotta score to settle with Wrath."

Koichi smiled.

"I'd hate to be in his shoes."

J.P.'s expression became a mixture of a grin and a grimace.

"We'll see. I'm in no condition for a scuffle at the moment."

Everyone was soon settled down for the night, but Koji had a restless sleep. He couldn't recall what he'd been dreaming this time, but he remembered the vision he had just before he woke up. It was of Koichi and T.K. T.K. was standing over Koichi's prone figure, arms outstretched. There was a look of cold determination on his face before it suddenly broke out into one of excruciating pain. Koji could feel his pain it was this pain that jolted him out of sleep with a gasp. He glanced the sleeping bundled forms of Tommy and Koichi and let out a sigh of relief that he hadn't woken either of them. He got up and went out onto the balcony connected to their room for some fresh air. It was cold outside, but it swept away the terror and anxiety of the nightmare. He just couldn't rid himself of the image of T.K.'s protective stance over his twin, however. He'd have to warn Matt about that.

"He'll be fine," a voice whispered in his ear. "Nothing bad will happen to T.K."

Koji whirled around. No one was there, but there was the just the slightest hint of the smell of fire in the air. Koji looked around the palace's spires, but the closest chimney was upwind of him. He frowned; confused for a moment, but then remembered that the kitchens were a couple floors below him.

"It was just the stupid wind," he muttered before returning to his bed to reclaim what little time for sleep he had left.

* * *

Was it really just Koji's imagination at work? Or is T.K. and Koichi really in for some rough times ahead? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

Whew! That was a hard chapter to write. Be honest. How many of you thought that it was Takuya in the jedi robes? well you were half right, but you were also half wrong! Sorry. :P

So what did you think? I know many of you did, so I'm sorry that it wasn't the case, but the warrior of flame did make and appearance! I hoped you liked it and I'm sorry if these newer chapters are looking shorter then usual, but in my defense I am a college student and I have classes and tests that I need to take so I'm lucky enough to be getting two chapters out a week! I hope you guys are enjoying them. THe plot is thickening and it is only a matter of time before something major happens. See you all in chapter 23!


	23. Tunnel Travel

Chapter 23~ ! Yay! This one came rather quickly to mind and I have a feeling the next one will too. Now enough of my blabberings. I'll save that for the end. For now enjoy the latest chapter of this ever growing fan fic! Please read and review! WARNING: there is some very minor language in this chapter so if you're under the age of 13 I apologize in advance. We also get a little graphic again, but what's a little gore? On that rather happy note, ENJOY!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 23: Tunnel Travel

The Digital World: Location: Himizu City's Tunnel Maze

It was midmorning and everyone had finally managed to get down the insane trapdoor and slide into the underground chamber that Kenta and Kazu had discovered the day before. The torches that lined the walls and continued into the tunnels were still lit and the entrance to the maze loomed ahead.

"What a dump," Rika had scowled after she landed rather ungracefully on top of Ryo.

The two of them bickered for a moment, but got out of the way in time for the next person to come down the slide. Ryo headed off somewhere fuming with Cyberdramon while Rika complained to Takato and Henry.

"Hey goggle head!" Rika snarled at Takato when she realized that he wasn't listening to her. He had been glancing around the chamber instead.

"Huh?" Takato blinked.

Terriermon giggled at him from Henry's shoulder.

"Typical," Rika huffed, turning on her heel and stormed off with Renamon to join Mimi and Yolei.

"Smooth Takato," Henry sighed. "Now she's going to be in a foul mood for the rest of the morning."

"When is Rika ever in a good mood?" Terriermon asked.

"That's rude, Terriermon," Henry frowned.

"Rude but true," Terriermon said in singsong.

Takato and Guilmon chuckled, agreeing whole-heartedly, but Henry continued to frown.

"Was she talking about anything important?" Takato asked, trying to keep a straight face.

"Not really," Henry admitted. "She was just complaining about Ryo again."

"Can't those two give it a rest?" Terriermon sighed. "All they seem to do lately is complain about each other."

"Yeah," Guilmon nodded. "It's starting to hurt my ears."

"You don't have ears!" Terriermon laughed. "Unless you count those bat like wings on the top of your head!"

"Takato? I have ears, don't I?" Guilmon asked, tilting his head to the side.

"Uh," Takato gulped, not really sure how to answer him. He honestly hadn't been thinking about ears when he'd created Guilmon.

"Sure you do," Henry answered. "You wouldn't be able to hear us otherwise."

Takato threw him a grateful glance and Guilmon seemed to be more than satisfied with the answer. Terriermon jumped from Henry's shoulder to sit on Guilmon's back.

"When do you think Tai's gonna get us going?" Takato asked.

Henry shrugged.

"As soon as everyone's ready to go I guess," was his reply.

"That could take a while," Terriermon sighed.

Henry raised his eyes to the ceiling, wishing his partner was just a little more tactful and less blunt.

"Alright everyone!" Tai's voice called out. "Let's get a move on!"

"It's about time," the boys heard Rika sigh aloud.

"She's really is in a bad mood today," Henry sighed.

"Must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed," Takato chuckled. "Either that or her collision with Ryo was worse then we thought."

"She sure likes to hang out with the Mimi girl lately," Terriermon noted as a moody Rika passed by with a giggling Mimi.

"I think she reminds Rika of her mother a little," Henry observed. "Mimi is into fashion and all of that."

"Yolei too," Takato nodded as they started following some others through the tunnel-maze entrance. "Makes sense. I've also started to miss my parents. We've been here for roughly a week, right? Mom's probably worried sick and Dad… well I'm sure he's worried too, but he's probably trying to reassure Mom that I'm alright."

"My Mom's probably in pieces," Henry sighed. "She knows that I can take care of myself well enough, but Suzie…"

Henry looked over to where Suzie was walking up a little ways ahead of them with Ai and Mako under Jeri and Sora's watchful eyes.

"Who are we kidding," Takato laughed weakly. "Everyone's parents must be freaking out. Oh…"

"What?" Henry asked.

"I was just thinking about Takuya's family," Takato said sadly. "He once told me about his little brother. How do you think the family will handle his death? My Mom would be devastated if I died here. My Dad once said that no parent should ever have to burry their own child, but I bet it's worse to have no body to bury at all."

Henry took on a sober look.

"I think that once they hear the story, they'd be proud of him," he finally said. "Takuya died protecting all of us and took out one of the Zaigou all on his own. We didn't really do that much to help him. None of us are really strong enough to do what he did."

"I think you're giving the guy too much credit," Terriermon said. "He got lucky if you asked me. He just happened to strike at the right time and used the element of surprise."

"Terriermon," Henry said warningly.

"What?" his partner asked innocently.

Takato sighed and Guilmon tilted his head to the side.

"I think that boy was brave," Guilmon said with a nod.

"Brave sure, but-!"

"Don't say it Terriermon," Henry said threateningly while worriedly eyeing Koji and Koichi who were walking up ahead near the front of the group.

"What do you think about the powers the Warrior DigiDestined are gaining?" Takato asked quickly in order to change the subject.

"Not sure," Henry muttered, eager to shift gears. "You'd think that it would be enough to be the only humans able to independently change into Digimon without a partner Digimon to aid the process. Why should they get powers on top of everything else?"

"It kinda makes you feel a little inferior doesn't it?" Takato sighed.

"Mmm," Henry hummed. "At least it's not some sort of random thing. I've heard that J.P. can sense energy flows with that scarred eye of his and everyone knows that Koichi's got that power to see the darkness in a person. At least their powers are related to the elements that they represent."

"Koichi's new power sure didn't improve his popularity though," Terriermon mused. "Even before he had it, it was like he had the plague or something. Few of the Adventurer DigiDestined didn't want to have anything to do with him because his element is Darkness. After he told us about his power, it really freaked some of them out even more. It all sounds kinda silly if you ask me. It's not as if the guy ever gave them an excuse to hate him, so who cares if he represents Darkness. I like the dark."

"Me to!" Guilmon smiled. "When it's dark, you can see the stars in the sky."

"At least he's getting along with them better," Takato smiled, watching T.K. and Cody chat with Koichi and a weary Koji.

"Yeah," Henry smiled. "Now if only his twin would lighten up."

"So do you think Koji is a psychic now?" Takato asked in a low voice.

"Dunno," Henry mused, watching the Warrior of Light's back. "I hope not. That guy's as taut as a bowstring. Any more pressure will make him snap. He's already worried about what's going on in the present and what's happened in the past. He can't afford to worry about the future. It's no wonder that he's having those weird dreams."

"In other words," Terriermon smiled, "the guy's acting like he's got a stick stuck up his ass."

Takato choked back a laugh while Henry nearly stumbled over his own feet.

"Terriermon!" he cried.

"That's what Matt said anyways," the carefree Digimon shrugged his long ears. "He said that Koji is so serious that he acts as if he's got a sick stuck up his ass."

"I don't care what Matt said," Henry said through gritted teeth. "Don't you ever repeat that again to anybody! It's rude and inappropriate."

Takato was still choking back laughter when Ryo decided to join them.

"What's so funny Takato?" he asked.

Takato cracked up again, but waved it off.

"Nothing," Henry growled, shooting Terriermon a withering look that said he better not repeat what was said.

Ryo just shrugged it off anyways. He looked ahead and found himself locking eyes with Rika. She scowled before quickly turning away to studiously ignore him.

"Rika's being a pain as usual this morning," Ryo grumbled. "Even though she's the one who landed on top of me."

Henry groaned. He'd already sat through Rika's complaints and was not looking forward to going through it again, but Ryo laughed when he saw his reaction.

"She gave you an earful earlier I take it," he chuckled. "Figures. What's her deal anyway?"

Henry and Takato shrugged.

"Who knows," Henry sighed. "Rika's always going off about something."

"She just needs to learn how to relax," Terriermon nodded knowingly.

"I suppose," Ryo grinned. "But she wouldn't be Rika if she didn't complain about something."

"You two sure have been fighting a lot," Terriermon piped up, earning himself another glare from his Tamer.

"I suppose," Ryo mused. "What do you think Cyberdramon?"

Neither Takato nor Henry had noticed that the large dragon Digimon had also joined them, so they jumped when he spoke.

"Often," the tall Digimon grunted. "I'd say you two fight often."

"Do we?" Ryo laughed. "Hadn't noticed. I thought that all this time it was playful banter, seeing as Rika and I are both intellectuals and professional Tamers. Although she is too uptight when it comes to the intellectual part. Always thinks she is or has to be right."

Takato and Henry exchanged uneasy glances, but couldn't help agreeing with Ryo on that last point.

"So how do you guys feel about traveling through these tunnels?" Ryo asked, all humor gone.

"All right I guess," Takato shrugged, but Henry took his time before answering.

"I find it a little unsettling," he finally stated. "We don't know where we will end up – not that that's anything new – and we are at a slight disadvantage down here. If we were attacked there'll be very little room to maneuver around in and allow our Digimon to Digivolve to their higher levels. For example, I can't see Growlmon, Greymon or Kabuterimon even fitting in here to fight."

"That's exactly what I've been thinking," Ryo nodded. "It's very risky. Not to mention that this area might be under a Zaigou's control. If what Koji was saying is true then they've already got a spy down here."

"You think Tai's made a mistake in having us travel down here?" Takato asked, beginning to feel a little uneasy himself.

"It's possible," Ryo said grimly.

Suddenly everyone stopped up ahead. At first they couldn't figure out why, but then they heard someone say that they'd reached the first fork in the maze.

* * *

At the front of the group, Tai was looking uneasily around him. There were eight different tunnels to choose from.

"Any ideas Izzi?" he asked.

"No," Izzi sighed, frustrated. "My laptop is as messed up as Guardromon's sensors. Kenta and Kazu said that they couldn't remember which turns they'd made when they were down here earlier because they'd been chasing that strange boy, but even if they did remember I wouldn't want to lead everyone to a dead end that would only result in us ending back up at the palace. I could give an educated guess on which tunnel we should take based on direction, but I don't want to resort to that. We'd be better off traveling above ground."

"Well then," Tai sighed turning to look at the group behind him. "What do you think Koji? You're a psychic now, right? Got any ideas?"

Koji frowned slightly, but he closed his eyes and remained silent for a moment in deep thought. Koichi did the same thing beside him, reaching out for any traces of darkness. He was the first to snap out of his reverie.

"We shouldn't take any of the first three to our left or the second and fourth tunnels on our right," Koichi told Tai.

"Well that certainly narrows it down," Izzi mused, pulling up a chart on his laptop, marking the tunnels Koichi had mentioned with an X.

"What are you doing Izzi?" Tai asked.

"I'm making a map of the tunnels," Izzi informed him. "That way if we need to back track we'll have an idea of where we've been and how to get back. So now that we know that, for this first fork – counting from left to right – we need to take either the fourth, sixth, or eighth tunnel."

"It's the fourth," Koji suddenly stated, opening his eyes. "The fourth tunnel is the one we should take."

"Are you sure?" Tai asked.

"Positive," Koji nodded.

Tai looked into Koji's cobalt blue eyes. He saw no hesitation in them, but could he really afford to lead everyone in that direction without any solid reason other than Koji's word?

"How do you know that that's the right tunnel?" Matt asked from his position beside Tai. Sometime it was as if Matt could read his best friend's mind.

Koji shrugged, but the look in his eyes did not waver.

"How come Koichi can detect the amount of darkness within a person? How can J.P. see and feel the flow of energy inside of things?" he asked reasonably. "All I can say is that I just know. Maybe there is a voice inside my head telling me where to go. Who really knows? But I am certain, for some reason, that the fourth tunnel is the one that we need to take. I'm afraid that all I can give you is my word on the matter."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," Tai smiled at Matt. "We've got Izzi drawing up a chart of the tunnels. If we meet a dead end we'll just back track and choose another."

Matt still looked uncertain, but he nodded and gestured for Tai to continue to lead them on ahead. Even he could see how sure Koji was in his assumption. After that, whenever they came to another fork in the maze of tunnels both Koji and Koichi tried to sense which tunnel would be the right one to take and which ones would be the wrong ones. Izzi was carful to make a note in his diagram that he marked whatever tunnels Koichi deemed a bad idea to travel down with an X and the ones that Koji told them to take with a circle. They continued on without too many delays or problems, but after an entire afternoon's worth of traveling, the torches flames began to dim. It was as if the tunnels were informing them that they'd better bed down for the "night." Tai had them make camp in the next intersection that they came across and set up watches just like they would have if they were above ground and out in the open. Even though the torches continued to dim within the next couple hours, they never extinguished completely, giving the DigiDestined a small but comforting source of light.

* * *

Koichi had felt as if he'd just drifted off into sleep when he felt a hand clamp down over his mouth. His eyes flew open and he tried to sit up, but a hand pressed firmly down on his shoulder. Because he was the Warrior of Darkness, his eyes instantly adjusted to the dim lighting of the space, and could easily make out the figure crouched beside him.

"Relax," a voice whispered into his ear. "It's just me."

Koichi let out a sigh of relief and frustration as the hand over his mouth slowly pulled back.

"T.K.," he breathed softly. "What the heck was that about? You nearly gave me a heart attack! What if you'd woken up Koji?"

He quickly glanced beside him to make sure his twin was still fast asleep. Both he and T.K. remained silent and watched the dark form of Koji to make sure that the boy hadn't woken.

"Sorry," T.K. whispered back. "It's time to start our watch. Cody and Tommy are waiting to be relieved."

"Alright," Koichi sighed before standing.

The two of them carefully made their way around the sleeping bodies of their friends and took Cody and Tommy's place for the new watch shift with Patamon. None of them spoke for the first hour of the watch, but that was simply because they had nothing they really wanted to talk about. It was a peaceful quiet that hung in the air between them as they listened to the sounds of their sleeping companions. Sometimes they could hear the occasional chuckle from the other side of the space where Ryo and Ken were standing guard with Cyberdramon and Wormmon.

"That's odd," Koichi suddenly whispered, almost to himself.

"What is?" T.K. yawned.

"I'm not sure," Koichi muttered as he turned to face the tunnel that they had their backs to. "I sense a weird dark aura."

"What?" T.K. gasped. "Could it be Paressemon?"

"I don't think so," Koichi shook his head. "The aura is too different from hers. It's not all that dark actually. It could just be your average under-grounder like Drimogemon. I don't sense anything particularly menacing about the aura."

He felt T.K. relax slightly beside him.

"Should we check it out anyway?" asked Patamon.

"Maybe," Koichi said. "But lets let someone know where we're off to first. Maybe tell Tai or Ken and Ryo."

"That's a good idea," T.K. nodded.

They quickly, but quietly skirted the edge of the camp to Ken and Ryo's position where they also found Tai, who wasn't asleep yet since he'd recently gotten off the first shift. Koichi informed them all about the unusual aura.

"We're just going to go check it out," T.K. reassured them. "I'll let you guys know what we find via the D-Terminal."

"Alright," Ken nodded.

"Be careful you two," Ryo warned.

"We will," Koichi smiled. "After all, we've got Patamon with us."

"Leave it to me!" Patamon stated, thumping his chest.

"All the same, Patamon, I think I'd better go with you three," Tai sighed, turning to wake Agumon. "You're brothers would kill me if anything happened to you two."

Uneasy chuckles rose up softly in the air because no one wanted to see the wrath of an upset Koji and Matt. The three DigiDestined and two Digimon quickly entered the tunnel to where Koichi could sense the source of the odd aura. They were growing a little uneasy because they were already a long ways away from the camp.

"It should be right around here," Koichi muttered as they turned another bend in the tunnel. In front of them they could make out the shape of large mound. The torchlight was just too dim for Tai, T.K., Agumon and Patamon to make out the shape clearly, but Koichi could and instantly realized that he'd been right.

"It's just a Drimogemon," he sighed, relieved.

"Are you sure about that?" a feminine voice giggled.

They were on their guard in an instant as the Drimogemon suddenly moved and stared at them with beady glossed over eyes. It was being controlled.

"Gottcha," the voice giggled again and from behind the mole Digimon suddenly Paressemon appeared out of thin air. "Time for you to take a little stroll with me my dear Warrior of Darkness."

"I don't think so," Tai said grimly, placing himself between the Zaigou and Koichi. T.K. moved to do the same.

"Well I do," Paressemon said darkly and reached out her hand towards Koichi. "Come with me Dark and I promise that your friends won't get hurt. I'll even give them the means to leave these tunnels unharmed and reach Netsusa without any detours or interference from the other Zaigou. I give you my word like I did back in the western forest."

"What do you want with him?" T.K. demanded.

"That is none of your concern," she said breezily.

"Sorry but no," Tai stated with finality.

"I'll be fine Tai," Koichi said, placing a hand on the older boy's shoulder. "She won't hurt me."

"I won't," Paressemon grinned. "I'll promise you that too if you'd like."

"I'm sorry Koichi, but I can't let you do that," Tai said, ignoring the Zaigou. "We've already lost one member of the DigiDestined and I won't stand by and let another one go without a fight. Think about Koji. He's still distraught over loosing Takuya. What do you think your disappearance will do to him even if she doesn't hurt you?"

Koichi remained silent and Paressemon stared angrily at Tai.

"You said that you won't stand by and let him go, didn't you?" she asked coldly.

"That's right," Tai nodded.

"Then how about you kneel!" she snarled and with a snap of her fingers Drimogemon lunged forward, its drill buzzing in the cold tunnel air.

Agumon and Patamon leaped into action. The tunnel was too small for Agumon to Digivolve but that didn't stop Patamon from becoming Angemon. Agumon blinded the possessed Digimon with his Pepper Breath and Angemon parried its drill with his staff. But while the Digimon were taking on Drimogemon Paressemon darted forward past them and with a swipe of her hand she sent Tai flying into the opposite wall. He slid to the floor winded and dazed.

"Tai!" T.K. cried out and found himself face to face with the adolescent Zaigou. He didn't know what she'd done, but suddenly Koichi crumpled behind him and fell into a heap. Instinctively T.K. threw out his arms and stared angrily into Paressemon's eyes. She seemed to be amused by the pathetic way he was shielding Koichi, but there was admiration in her analyzing gaze as well.

"T.K!" he heard Angemon cry out, followed by the shrill cry of the Drimogemon.

There was a small gasp followed by a thud, but since T.K. could still hear Angemon fighting he knew that it had to have been Agumon. Things were not looking good, but that didn't stop T.K. from keeping up his protective stance. He was finally beginning to understand Koichi and they were well on their way to becoming good friends.

"There is no way in hell that I'm going to leave Koichi alone with you or any of the other Zaigou," T.K. swore aloud.

"T.K!" Angemon cried out desperately again, unable to disengage from battle.

"Is that so," Paressemon smiled sweetly. "Then you leave me no choice. I'll have to take you as well."

"No!" Tai's voice cried out hoarsely in unison with Angemon's.

T.K. stared determinedly at Paressemon, feet stubbornly planting him between her and Koichi. Her smile only widened as she reached out towards him and with a gentle pushing motion, a sonic wave pulsed from her hand, through the air and struck him. Pain racked through his body and he cried out loudly. The sound echoed throughout the tunnel and ended up waking many of the sleeping DigiDestined back at camp. Koji had actually felt it and rushed off to get Matt, already knowing who it was that was screaming. The two of them rushed off with Ken and Ryo and their Digimon before anyone else could stop them.

Back in the tunnel T.K. crumpled next to Koichi but before he lost consciousness, he gripped Koichi's hand. He was in too much shock to feel Koichi return the grip reflexively, but he saw it.

"I won't let anything happen to you… my friend," T.K. promised under his breath before everything went black.

"How sweet," Paressemon sighed.

Tai forced himself up from the wall that he'd been thrown against and, despite still being a little winded, he took up the same defensive possession as T.K. before the two fallen boys.

"Out of my way," Paressemon ordered him.

"Over my dead body," Tai panted.

"You humans are such silly creatures," she sighed. "But if you insist-!"

Paressemon lunged forward again, but instead of simply swatting him away like last time she drew a dagger from the folds of her dress and slashed him across the chest. Tai stumbled back, almost tripping over T.K.'s legs, leaving him no time to ward off her follow up attack. She slashed at him again in a series of swipes, grazing his right cheek, left temple and nicking the crook of his right shoulder before sending the long blade home into the center of his chest deep enough in for the tip to protrude out his back. Time seemed to stop as Tai and Paressemon locked eyes. The fire seemed to dim slightly in his, but he was still alive and conscious… for the moment. She leaned in as if to kiss him, but her lips glided over sweat dewed skin to his right ear.

"I was careful to make clean cuts and pierce you just below your heart," she whispered. "You should still be alive by the time the others reach you. I just hope your medic knows enough about crystal healing to save you. I'd hate to have you die by my hands, DigiDestined of Courage. It is an unfit death for one as noble as yourself. I do not relish in killing like all the other Zaigou, so know that I do not take this action against you lightly. We both know that I wouldn't have been able to take Dark and his friend with you in the way. I hope that one day you will come to forgive me."

Tai stared incredulously over her shoulder, barely able to see Angemon fail in his attempts to disengage in his fight with Drimogemon in order to reach T.K. while protecting Agumon's unconscious form at the same time. Tai's vision was beginning to fade around the edges, but he held on to consciousness. The Zaigou of Laziness was now reaching into the folds of her dress again and withdrew a glowing golden sphere.

"I do promise you, young man that no harm will befall these two boys. I swear on my _life_," she stated firmly pulling away from him enough for him to see her slash a promise X over where her heart should be with a long fingernail, "that you will find them safely again in the desert city of Netsusa. Take this orb and it will not only guide you all safely there, but it will also warn you if any of the other Zaigou are nearby. It will glow whenever one is close like it is doing now with me here."

She placed the orb in his hand and gently set him down against the wall. She could hear the hurried footsteps of the other DigiDestined in the distance with her sharp hearing, but they were still a long way off. She glanced over her shoulder at the struggling Angemon and then back to Tai. She had left the dagger in his chest so that his blood wouldn't spill out and cause him to bleed to death before help arrived, but she knew she'd have to take it back if she didn't want the other Zaigou harassing her about taking care of the weapons that the Master had generously given her. It was a dagger specially made for her after all.

"I am sorry," she told Tai before snapping her fingers, summoning another one of her servants. It was the lizard Digimon she'd sent into Himizu City to bring Koichi to her. It had failed in its mission, but she'd expected it to.

"My Lady?" it hissed.

"Take the boys," she ordered with a wave of her hand.

"As you wish," it bowed before gathering up the limp figures of T.K. and Koichi.

Angemon let out another anguished and desperate cry, but that didn't get away from Drimogemon in order to stop the lizard Digimon from vanishing. Paressemon watched the distraught angle Digimon for a moment before returning her attention back to Tai and her dagger. She paused and stared deep into his clouding chocolate brown eyes. Despite the fact that he was dying, they glowed brightly with an inner fire. It unsettled her how sharp and awear those eyes were in spite of his condition, but they also drew her to him. This was the leader of the DigiDestined and he was certainly not about to go down without a fight.

"Farewell DigiDestined of Courage," she said softly. "I do hope we meet again under different circumstances."

She kneeled down beside him and gently gripped the handle of her dagger. Those unnerving brown eyes had not stopped staring into her own once since she'd reestablished eye contact, and now they narrowed as she seemed to unconsciously lean in towards him. She could not explain it but those eyes simply drew her in. This time she did kiss him softly, gently, her lips pressed against his, and in that moment something sparked between them. Alarmed, Paressemon backed away from him quickly, the dagger sliding out of Tai's chest with its owner in her retreat. He let out a cry of pain and blood flowed out of the wound. He clutched his chest, trying to hold himself together as his life's blood poured out of him. He somehow managed to look up at her with those damning eyes. They seemed to burn holes into her yet she could not bring herself to look away.

"I really am sorry," she gasped, finally tearing her eyes away from his face. "Drimogemon! We are leaving."

With another snap of her fingers she and the mole Digimon were gone. When she reappeared in her personal chambers far from the underground tunnels, she rubbed her temples and eyes. When she withdrew her hand she was surprised to find that on the back of her right index finger there was a single shed tear.

* * *

Wow. Are Zaigou's really capable of crying? Paressemon seems to. What does she have planed for Koichi? And what about Tai? Will help reach him in time? Find out on next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

Yikes! I totally returned to the dark side on this one. Like Paressemon, I am really sorry to Tai and all his fans. I hate leaving you all on such a depressing note, but I promise that the next chapter will go up real soon. Other than that I'm not gonna say much on the matter. The story is really starting to pick up again though and that makes me happy! Now we're getting somewhere. There were a lot more chapters than I'd originally planed to happen between the last story arch with Aiyokumon (Lust) and this new one.

Have any of you figure out Paressemon yet? I don't think even I have, and I'm the writer! O.O She's just strange, even for a Zaigou. I know what I want to happen concerning her, but this fic is really starting to write itself even more, so I don't know how much control I have over the outcome. Maybe it'll come out the way I want it, maybe it won't. Either way it's gonna be fantastic! :D


	24. Grief, Guilt, and Apologies

Sorry for the delay! I had intended on posting this yesterday, but I'd forgotten that it was super bowl sunday. I must have rewritten this first half three times before settling on this version. I hope you all enjoy! Please read and review!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 24: Grief, Guilt and Apologies

The Digital World: Location: Somewhere in the Underground Tunnels

Angemon didn't know what to do. T.K. and Koichi were gone, Agumon was out cold, Tai was bleeding to death, and he was exhausted from his battle with an unusually strong Drimogemon. He could feel his data crying out to allow itself to DeDigivolve back into Patamon, but he couldn't allow himself to do that. Not yet. He needed to get Tai help first. After gathering what little strength he had left, Angemon tucked Agumon under his arm and gently gathered Tai in his other. He could feel the liquid substance of the human's blood soak his side and that made him uneasy. He'd never seen a human bleed this badly before. He took off as fast as he could, soaring down the tunnel so fast that he almost didn't see Matt, Koji, Ryo, Ken, and their Digimon until he was upon them. He halted his flight but in the dim light, figures were hard to make out.

"Angemon!" Matt cried out, recognizing the angle champion form of his brother's Digimon. "Are you hurt? You're bleeding! And where's T.K?"

"It's not my blood. I'm not even sure if Digimon can bleed," Angemon gasped as he fell to his knees. He was careful not to disturb Tai too much, but he ended up dropping Agumon in the process. The small yellow dinosaur Digimon groaned and began to stir. Gabumon rushed over to his side friend's side while Matt approached Angemon's bleeding cargo for a better look, praying that it wasn't his brother. When he saw who it was he was both relieved and horrified.

"Tai?" Matt gasped. "Oh God, what happened to him?"

He took Tai from Angemon and the moment he did, Angemon reverted back into Patamon and collapsed. Ken picked up the little Digimon and Ryo saw to Agumon. Koji remained beside Matt, looking down, shocked, at their injured leader. Tai's breathing was shallow and he was wavering in and out of consciousness, but he had heard Matt's voice.

"Matt," he rasped.

"I'm here Tai!" Matt cried, holding his best friend close. "I'm right here. Koji, Ken, and Ryo are here too. We're going to get you to Joe. Everything is going to be alright Tai, so stay with me, ok?"

"I'm… sorry," Tai coughed. "I'm so… sorry. I… couldn't …stop her. She…s got… them. T.K. and …Koichi."

"Don't talk," Matt and Koji both ordered.

Tai had a round of wet sounding coughs and they knew that they didn't have much time if they were going to save him. Koji took out his D-Tector and used his beast spirit to become KendoGarurumon. Since he had wheels on his heels that he could use to move, it would make a much smoother ride for Tai than actually bounding along using his legs.

"Let's go," he barked.

Matt wasted no time boarding KendoGarurumon's back and with Ryo and Ken's help, they got Tai up as quickly and smoothly as possible. While they did that, Matt had Gabumon Digivolve to Garurumon for Ken, Agumon, and Wormmon to ride while Ryo just flew on Cyberdramon with Patamon. They all rushed down the tunnel as fast as they dared and when they got back to camp they found everyone awake and in an uproar over their sudden disappearance. As they rushed in, it became deathly quiet until Kari screamed when she saw Matt dismount KendoGarurumon with her brother.

"TAI!" she cried, but Sora and Yolei held her back as Joe rushed forward with his medical kit in hand and J.P. at his heels. Everyone cleared a space as Joe ordered them around for things like a spare blanket or bowls of water. Ryo and Ken dispersed with their Digimon, quietly informing everyone what they knew of what had happened. Once Joe set to work on Tai, everyone but Matt, J.P. and Koji stayed clear, so as not to disturb him. Kari was a wreck; constantly demanding Ken to tell her what had happened to her brother and where her boyfriend was. Sora, Mimi, and Yolei did their best to console her, and Ken, with Ryo's help, told her everything he knew, but what he knew wasn't much.

Long hours passed by and few went back to sleep. The torches began to brighten up again, letting them know it was daytime above ground. Joe was still at work using whatever means he had; bandages, crystals, anything. Tai looked pale and feverish, but his breathing was becoming more regular and normal, if not a little labored. He'd lost a lot of blood. The crystals Joe had used sped up the clotting process in order stop the bleeding so the wound looks a few days old instead of a few hours. They also healed any internal damage that had been done. Bandages and salves used kept the wound from reopening and getting infected. During all the time Joe worked on Tai, J.P. had used some of the crystals to heal the minor wounds on Patamon and Agumon. He'd seen the Otokomon show Joe how to use them a number of times in the infirmary and ever since he found out that he could see and feel the energy they gave off when used, he had learned how to do the process himself. He was a little nervous though since this was the first time he'd actually applied that knowledge, but he was also confident that he could do it. Agumon only had a slight bruise on the back of his head, but he was otherwise fine and easily healed. Patamon was bruised in many places and had a few scrapes, but he was more fatigued than anything else. Agumon had woken up an hour after his treatment and moved to be by Tai's side as closely as Joe allowed him to be.

While J.P. had been making his presence useful, Matt and Koji couldn't help but feel the opposite. All they could do was station themselves nearby and send away anyone who came to see Tai. It wasn't until Joe put down the last of his medical implements and washed his hands in a now murky bowl of water, that they dared to allow themselves to come closer.

"How is he?" Matt whispered.

"He's fine for now," Joe sighed. "He was pierced just below the heart, causing some internal bleeding, but nothing vitally important was damaged. The crystals healed all that up. Tai was lucky. However, I did find some tissue damage that suggests that whatever stabbed him remained in his chest for a period of time before it was removed rather forcefully."

"He was tortured?" J.P. whispered, slightly growling. "Damned Zaigou."

"I don't think so. There wasn't enough damage to suggest that. We might learn more when Patamon wakes up. Is he still out?" Joe asked.

"Yes," J.P. nodded. "He's exhausted."

"You would be too if you were fighting against a Zaigou's lackey," Koji pointed out rather reasonably. "They're no armatures when it comes to fighting."

Matt studied the boy next to him. Like himself, Koji had just lost his brother, but he looked cool and collected, the exact opposite of how he'd been when Takuya was taken near the beginning of this crazy adventure. The sudden calm manner unnerved Matt. Didn't Koji care that their brothers were missing? Matt tried to reason with himself that Koji was either exhausted or that Koichi's kidnapping hadn't sunk in yet. When Matt looked away from Koji, he found himself looking at J.P. They stared at each other for a moment. Matt could feel that the Warrior of Thunder was having similar thoughts about the Warrior of Light. It was like waiting for a bomb to explode. The only question was, what would set it off?

Tai suddenly groaned, drawing their attention back to the more pressing matter at hand.

"Tai?" Matt said softly. "Can you hear me?"

"Matt," Tai rasped. "Where… am I?"

"Back at camp," Agumon stated, inching closer to his human partner.

Tai groaned again.

"Camp? Great. Kari is going to kill me, if Paressemon hasn't done that already."

Matt and Joe laughed softly, knowing that Tai was only trying to make light of his condition. Tai chuckled too, but it made him gasp.

"Does it hurt?" Joe asked, reaching for more healing crystals inside his bag.

"What do you think?" Tai grumbled irritably. "How do you think I feel Joe? I only got stabbed through and through with a bloody dagger. I was also smashed into a wall before that."

"Everything is going to be alright Tai," Joe sighed. "I've treated your wounds as best as I can at the moment. I'm letting the crystals recharge before I use them again but don't worry. I'll have you feeling as good as new in no time."

"Don't worry?" Tai growled. "Everything is going to be alright?"

Matt and Joe traded uneasy glances. They knew that tone all too well.

"You know full well that nothing is alright and you don't want me to worry?" Tai asked incredulously, his voice rising above the din of the chatter of the other DigiDestined. It echoed around the space, causing a hushed silence. Everyone was listening now.

"Of course I'm going to worry!" Tai exclaimed. "Forget the fact that I nearly bled to death and never mind the fact that mere seconds after that witch appeared, Paressemon sent me flying into the tunnel wall so hard that she winded me. She had a possessed Drimogemon knock Agumon out and keep Angemon locked in combat so that neither of them could help us fend her off. She knocked Koichi out, then shocked T.K. into unconsciousness when he tried to stop her, while I could do nothing!"

Tai's breathing was becoming erratic so Joe attempted to calm him down and Matt tried to help, but Tai suddenly sat up and looked at them both feverishly, each of his hands grabbing one of theirs, his grip surprisingly strong. A sob suddenly rose unbidden from his throbbing chest, making him groan again, but he pressed on with his rant.

"I couldn't do anything and you don't want me to worry," Tai cried. "It was all I could do just to stand up and place myself between her, and T.K and Koichi... T.K. was so brave, Matt. Angemon and I told him to run, but he stayed. He wouldn't leave Koichi's side. He stood there, with his arms stretched out, shielding him. When I saw her strike him down I tried… I tried to do the same for both of them, but-!"

Tai's hand released Joe and gripped his chest as it throbbed painfully at the memory. Joe took the opportunity to gently settle Tai back down while Matt pried Tai's other hand off his arm. Agumon watched all this and fidgeted nervously.

"Easy Tai," Joe said calmly. "You'll reopen your wounds and ruin all that work I did to seal them. Please just rest."

"Please Tai," Agumon begged.

Tai let out a gusty sigh before nodding, muttering an apology and lying back down. He looked mournfully at Matt and then Koji.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered to them before Joe used a sedative crystal on him.

Tai was out in an instant.

"Poor Tai," J.P. sighed. "He's had it rough."

Agumon, Matt and Koji nodded mutely as Joe began to recheck Tai's bandaged wounds to make sure none of them had reopened.

"You haven't even heard half of it," Patamon's voice interrupted their quiet musings.

"Patamon!" Agumon cried, rushing to his newly conscious friend. "How are you feeling?"

"Hiya," Patamon smiled weakly as he rose to his feet. "I feel like my wings are gonna fall off, but other than that I feel fine."

"J.P. fixed you up," Matt told him.

Patamon nodded his thanks at the Thunder Warrior and join them by Tai's side.

"Will he be alright?" Patamon asked.

"He'll be fine," Koji answered. "He'll be hurting for a couple days but he'll be alright."

Joe nodded, agreeing with Koji's assessment, but Matt glanced nervously at him. He had to remind himself that there was a strong possibility that Koji was psychic now so instead of commenting he returned his attention to Patamon.

"You got him to us in time," Matt smiled. "Any later and Tai could well have been a goner. …Please don't tell Kari I said that. She's still very upset after all that's happened."

"At least I did something right," Patamon smiled. "I was just as helpless as Tai was at stopping Paressemon, but he had the hardest time. I got off easy fighting Drimogemon. …I'm sorry Matt. I'm T.K's Digimon, but I couldn't save him."

Patamon started to cry and Matt placed a sympathetic hand on the Digimon's back. After a word from Joe they all left him alone with Tai and joined the others. Everyone quickly gathered around, wanting to hear what was going on. Kari held Patamon close, sighing with relief that Tai was going to be all right, but her worry for T.K. quickly took its place.

"What do you think she's done to him?" she cried.

"T.K.'s fine," Koji stated.

"And how would you know that?" Matt snapped, Koji's cold calm finally getting to him, but he stopped when he saw the far off look in the boy's eyes.

"Koichi is fine too," Koji mused. "Paressemon hasn't harmed either of them. I know that, Matt, because I can sense him. I can sense Koichi and he's telling me that he and T.K. are alright."

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Paressemon's Palace

Koji was right. Miles away above ground somewhere in the north, Koichi was lying awake next to an unconscious T.K. He didn't know why T.K. was there, but he was grateful that he was. He was rather surprised where they were. He had been expecting a dungeon, but instead they were in a lavishly styled room on an enormous bed. He felt like he was dirty and covered in grim in such a clean space wearing clothes that probably needed to be washed after a week of traveling.

T.K. started to stir beside him and let out a low moan.

"Are you alright?" Koichi asked him.

"No," T.K. groaned. "I feel like I was hit with a brick wall. Every part of me aches. …Where are we?"

"Not sure yet," Koichi answered truthfully. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say we were in a hotel suite, but…"

T.K. grunted as he managed to pull himself into a sitting position.

"Whoa," he gaped. "Who checked us into the Plaza?"

"The Plaza?" Koichi repeated.

"It's a famous luxury hotel in New York City. Mimi got Kari and I a room there when we went to visit her in America " T.K. enlightened him.

The door at the end of the room suddenly opened and Koichi reached for his D-Tector but found it missing. T.K. pulled out his Digivice, but without Patamon it was virtually useless. A cheerful looking Swanmon came in with a tray and silently set it down somewhere out of their sight. Koichi assumed that there was a dinning area over there. The Swanmon quickly emerged, smiled, bowed, and left the room.

"That was odd," T.K. muttered as he put away his digivice.

The smell of food wafted in from that unseen room, making their stomachs growl.

"Can you move?" Koichi asked T.K.

T.K. managed to adjust his sitting position so that he was sitting more erect, but even that simple action seemed to drain his energy. He frowned out of irritation, leaning against the bed's headboard and pillows.

"I'll get it," Koichi offered and scooted off the bed.

The room was indeed grand. If it weren't for the fact that they had been brought to this place by force, Koichi would have had a tough time believing that they were meant to be captives. When he turned the corner, he found that he was right about the suite having a dinning area. The tray Swanmon and brought them sat steaming on a small red oak table that had matching chairs. Beyond the space he could see a hallway. He made a mental note to explore the rooms later, but for now his and T.K.'s stomachs needed filling. The tray held two bowls of some sort of herbal soup and a plate full of a dish that Koichi wasn't familiar with, but it looked good. He carefully made his way back to T.K. and gave him his soup first before settling back on the bed with the rest of the food placed between them. The two ate in silence, appreciating the surprisingly good food.

"It's so strange," T.K. sighed when he was done eating. "We're obviously prisoners, so why give us food and put us in a nice room? What's Paressemon playing at?"

"Who knows," Koichi shrugged. "I told you that she's different than the other Zaigou. There has to be an ulterior motive for her to take the two of us."

"Maybe, but it is you that she really wants," T.K. shook his head. "She only took me because she had to. I told her that I wasn't going to let her or any other Zaigou take you alone so she zapped me. I don't know what she hit me with, but I sure felt it. I'm surprised she didn't leave be behind with Tai."

T.K. shuddered, and felt every bone in his body ache.

"Thank you," Koichi smiled sadly. "That means a lot to me T.K. Not many people would do that."

"Yeah well," T.K. shrugged, "if this gets us killed. I'm gonna kick your butt in the after life."

Koichi chuckled.

"I don't think she means to do us any harm. If she did we wouldn't be treated so well," he reasoned. "And don't sell yourself short, T.K. Paressemon wouldn't have brought you along with me if she didn't want to. …You could be used as a hostage to get me to cooperate."

"Great," T.K. groaned. "Hadn't thought of that. …How do you think Tai is?"

Koichi looked down guiltily.

"I don't know," he sighed. "I hope he's alright. I hope neither of our brothers have beaten him up for loosing us."

T.K. bit his bottom lip nervously. Both of their brothers had the capability to react irrationally to their disappearance and blame it all on Tai.

There was a knock at their door and Swanmon reentered the room to take their empty food tray.

"My mistress wishes to speak to you," she told Koichi. "Please follow me."

T.K. tried to get up, but Swanmon stopped him.

"I'm afraid that she only wants the Warrior of Darkness," she informed him gently.

"No way," T.K. growled, struggling just to move, but Koichi rested a hand on his shoulder to hold him down.

"Yes way," Koichi stated firmly. "You knew from the beginning that this was my intension. I'll go see what Paressemon wants. I promise that I'll come back, so just stay put and act like a good hostage."

T.K. frowned, not liking the joke at all, but let out a sigh.

"You're going to go whether I tell you, you can or not, aren't you?"

"Yup," Koichi smiled as he slipped off the bed and joined Swanmon by the door. "You just rest up and I'll tell you everything when I get back."

Koichi stepped out into the dark hallway. The place looked completely different from the rooms he'd just left. It was as if he'd stepped out of the modern day hotel and into a castle's dungeon from the medieval times just by crossing over the door jam. Swanmon bowed at T.K. before shutting the door, but only she and Koichi could hear her slide a deadbolt lock into place with a resounding clang. Even if T.K. managed to get out of bed and move, he wouldn't be going anywhere.

"This way please," she told Koichi in her musical voice.

He followed her without any resistance down the winding hallway, up a spiral stair case two floors and down another corridor before entering a rather large library. Paressemon was standing there waiting for him in front of a full-length mirror.

"Leave us," she commanded and Swanmon bowed herself out.

It was quiet for a moment as the Zaigou continued to stare into the mirror, which struck Koichi as peculiar since Paressemon didn't seem to be the vain kind of Digimon.

"Tell me," she demanded, "what is it like to be touched by the light?"

"Excuse me?" Koichi stammered.

Paressemon whirled around and he saw her face. It looked as if she had been crying. Her mascara was unblemished and her eyes weren't red from any tears she might have shed, but there was a look of utter misery etched into her features.

"I heard that you were once drowned in darkness like me and the other Zaigou, but threw it off when you were touched by Light," she stated. "So I was merely wondering what it was like."

"I'm not entirely sure what you are talking about," Koichi shrugged helplessly. In that moment he felt nothing but pity for the Zaigou. Her dark aura was filled with sadness, confusion and despair, so he felt as if he should help her in any way he could. It wasn't because of pity though. It was out of sympathy that he wished to help her. The pain she was feeling was all too familiar to his own in the past.

"It is true that I was once corrupted by a tainted evil form of darkness, but my brother help me," Koichi sighed, seating himself in one of the lush chairs before him. "I am still in darkness, but it is no longer a bad thing."

"Explain," she demanded.

"Not until you tell me how this is relevant to my presence here," Koichi demanded back firmly.

She glared at him and he simply stared back. There was no hostility in his eyes, only the simple hint of curiosity. It was quiet while they held their staring contest, but finally Paressemon impatiently let out an exasperated huff, seeing that the boy just wouldn't budge.

"Fine," she pouted.

"You are not like any of the other Zaigou we have encountered," Koichi smiled.

She frowned at him.

"No, I'm not. The others revel in this dark power that we have been given, but I do not. They enjoy deleting any pathetic Digimon careless enough to get in their way. They enjoy the kill," she nearly whispered as a haunted look entered her suddenly skeletal features.

"But you don't," Koichi pressed kindly.

"No, I do not. Now explain yourself," she growled. "How can you stand being one of darkness and avoid being consumed by it?"

"It isn't easy," Koichi admitted. "I'm not proud of many of my actions as an agent of evil. Some still haunt me to this day."

"…But," Paressemon pressed.

"But I no longer fear the darkness," Koichi smiled. "The darkness alone is frightening. It's so lonely and empty until you find something to fill that void. Hmm… Maybe this will help. Think of an empty night sky, an endless stretch of darkness. Then fill it with tiny points of light to become the stars. The darkness is still there, but it's no longer unbearable. You have points of light to shine upon you and keep you company. Before, I was all alone and not even my brother knew about me yet. Then I met him and his friends, who later became my friends as well. Over time I've made more and more friends and now my night sky is filled with points of light. Maybe that's why God created the moon, sun and stars. They are all points of light that fill the expansive darkness."

"Your logic is…interesting," Paressemon mused. "But that still doesn't answer my question. What did it feel like to be touched by light?"

"I felt," Koichi paused, searching for the right word. "…Relieved."

"Relieved?" she repeated.

"Yes," Koichi nodded. "I wasn't alone anymore. I was accepted and that meant that I could learn to forgive myself for what I had done and what had been troubling me for such a long time. It was liberating. Darkness is such a heavy thing to carry with you that it's nearly suffocating. Some embrace it, but others get crushed under its weight. …Wouldn't you agree, Paressemon?"

She gave the slightest hint of a nod, looking lost in thought.

"Now it's you that hasn't answered my question," Koichi mused after a moment of speculative silence. "Why am I here?"

Paressemon snapped out of whatever train of thought she had been in.

"I need you to do something for me," she stated. "It is something that only you can do."

"And that would be…?" Koichi asked.

"I want you to release me of my Zaigou form," she stated. "I wish to be rid of its burden and the chains that bind me to the Master."

* * *

Whoa! Paressemon wants out of the Zaigou? Can Koichi really help free her? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

So how was that? We're getting deeper into Paressemon's character now. How many of you saw this coming? How many of you actually like her?

I really do enjoy writing these little scenes with T.K. and Koichi. They've become such good friends even if TK's taking the long road there. I think he might have picked up a little recklessness from Davis. As for Koichi, I think he likes playing the role of someone wiser beyond his years. He can't help but make a comical jab at TK though, who's so serious most of the time. Next chapter we'll see if he lightens up any. Doubt it, but who really knows? Yes, this does mean that Tai, Koji, Koichi, and TK will become the central focus for the next couple of chapters.

I have a new poll up on my profile. I'd appreciate it if you guys took the time to take it. ^_^


	25. Being Human

Here we go! Chapter 25! Sorry for the wait on this one. I got a mild case of writers block. XD I went around reading other fan fics and discovered Sightbent! I really like all of Sightbent's stories so any of you who like good 02 and frontier crossovers, I highly recommend reading the fic Bound by a Similar Destiny. It's really good. But anyway, back to my fic, please review and enjoy!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER, OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 25: Being Human

The Digital World: Location: The Underground Tunnels

Even though he was still gravely injured, Tai insisted that they should move on. Many were against this idea, but everyone saw the sense in it. They had already stayed in one spot for too long and staying any longer could prove to be dangerous. Tai still hadn't told everyone about what had transpired between him and Paressemon, but he finally did tell Koji, Matt and Izzi while he watched them pack up so that they could move on. The only thing he left out was the strange kiss.

"Well it appears that Koichi was right about her," Izzi mused as he pulled up the map of the tunnels he was making on his laptop. "From what you've told us and if what Koji says about T.K. and Koichi's well being is true, then Paressemon isn't like either of the two Zaigou we've encountered before her. I'm a little surprised that we haven't met any of the other four."

"That's because we must still be in Paressemon's territory," Tai shrugged, wincing slightly at the tug it caused on his bandaged wounds. "Every Zaigou has a section of the Digital World that Kushyamon assigns them, remember?"

"At least we now have something to warn us when one is nearby so we can attempt to avoid them," Matt sighed and he pointed to the dark orb that Tai held in his hands. "But how is that thing suppose to show us which way tunnels to take to get to Netsusa City? Wouldn't it be better if Koji continued to choose which tunnels we take?"

"Well what do you think Koji?" Tai asked. "You're our psychic after all."

It sounded like could have been a joke but everyone knew that Tai believed in Koji's newfound abilities more than anyone. Maybe even more than Koji did himself. Matt marveled at how easily his best friend trusted the younger DigiDestined that they'd only known for a week's time. Koji silently reached his hand out for Paressemon's orb and Tai gave it to him without any hesitation. Koji stared at if, rotating it every once in a while. He paused after a minute of carefully examining it, his eyes widening slightly. He was quiet for a long time, but when he snapped out of it he looked a little shocked and depressed.

"What is it?" Tai asked, leaning forward a bit.

"It's got Takuya's Flame crest on it," Koji answered as he handed the orb back to Tai. "That's all. It is made of pure light energy and isn't something that a Zaigou should have in their possession. They are made up of pure darkness, according to Koichi so a Zaigou shouldn't even be able to hold it. Are you sure it was Paressemon that gave this to you?"

"Yes," Tai blinked. "I'm pretty sure it was her because it was defiantly her dagger that she impaled into my chest before giving it to me."

"As interesting as that all sounds," Matt sighed, getting them back on track, "can that thing really show us the way to Netsusa City?"

"It can," Koji nodded. "It is a fire compass that points to the desert City of Flames, A.K.A. Netsusa. But it will only work in a wielder of flame's hands. Ideally that would be Takuya but…"

"…He's not here," Tai finished gently.

"Yeah," Koji whispered. "But, Tai, you're the next best thing. The symbol of courage is the sun. Either you or maybe even Davis should be able to get that thing to work. All you have to do is press your thumb to the 'fire' character on the orb."

Tai searched the orb's surface for the character Koji spoke of and finally found it lightly etched in faded gold print. He pressed his thumb into the character and it almost instantly came to life. It glowed with an inner flame and it rose, hovering just centimeters above the surface of Tai's outstretched hand. Matt and Izzi staggered back a step as the orb began to vibrate and emit a flame around its spherical body. Everyone else noticed what was going on and quickly gathered in a wide circle to watch. The flame surrounding the orb suddenly flared up and detached itself. Many screamed as it settled in the center of the circle and began to take shape. When it's form stabilized and became recognizable, everyone gasped.

A flaming version of Agunimon stood before them all, smiling. The apparition looked exactly as Takuya had in Koji's dream. He waved at his Warrior friends before turning back to Tai. The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Agunimon started to fade. Tai took a few steps forward, his free hand unconsciously reaching out for the Warrior Digimon. Agunimon's smile widened and he became more solid.

"Are you ready?" he asked.

Tai pause, looking utterly confused by the flaming apparition's words, but he nodded. He wasn't sure what he needed to be ready for, but he braced himself as Flame Warrior approached him.

"Hold out the orb," the deceased warrior told him and Tai complied, taking the orb back into his hand.

Then Agunimon placed his own hand over the orb and the flames that made up his body flared back to life again and he slowly began to fade into them until he was no longer there. Fire whirled around Tai and the orb until both were glowing gold. When the fire finally died, Tai was revealed to be unharmed and the orb had gone back to being a dark sphere with an inner glow.

"Are you alright Tai?" Izzi managed to ask.

"Yeah, fine," Tai breathed, dazed as he watched the orb float back out of his hand. He pushed his bangs out of his face with his now free hand, but paused when he noticed Koji's stare.

"What?" Tai asked him.

"Your hand," Koji pointed.

Tai looked at the back of his hand that had held the now floating orb and found the warrior's character for flame etched into his skin like a tattoo.

"How…?" Tai whispered, as he looked the black etching over.

"It must have happened when Agunimon touched the orb," Matt reasoned.

"Huh," J.P. snorted as he joined them with Zoe and Tommy. "It seems that even in the afterlife, Takuya and Agunimon are quite the busy bodies."

Koji, Zoe and Tommy nodded.

"Well is it going to lead us to Netsusa?" Matt asked.

As if reacting to Matt's words the orb zoomed in circles over Tai's shoulder before taking off to hover before one of the tunnels ahead of them.

"I guess that answers that question," Tai laughed, following the floating orb.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: T.K. and Koichi's Prison Suite

"She wants what?" T.K. gasped.

"You heard," Koichi sighed, plopping down onto the bed beside his friend. After Paressemon had made her request known to him in her library, the lizard Digimon had interrupted them. Apparently something important had happened and she had to send Koichi back to the prison suite without any further explanation.

T.K. was staring at him incredulously for a moment before sinking back into the pillows. He still couldn't move much, but that hardly troubled him at the moment.

"You mean that she doesn't want to be a Zaigou?" he asked, bewildered.

"So it would seem," Koichi mused, rather enjoying T.K.'s shock. "I'm assuming that she didn't have the choice to become one in the first place. The only question is what she will become if I do what she wants me to? What sort of creature was she before becoming a Zaigou?"

"Kinda makes you weary of the prophecy Genbumon told us, huh?" T.K. groaned.

"Are you concerned about the part that said about Hope giving way to Darkness, letting the Lazy one loose, and ultimately deciding our fate?" Koichi asked.

T.K. grimaced.

Koichi sat up and rested his hand on T.K.'s shoulder.

"Now it's my turn to make a promise," Koichi smiled. "I promise you that we will both make it out of this together. I won't let anything happen to you, prophecy or no prophecy."

T.K. smiled gratefully at him, but he still looked a little uneasy about their situation.

"Just how are you going to free her from being a Zaigou?" he asked.

"Not sure yet," Koichi sighed. "She must have something in mind that will get the job, but she has yet to tell me what that is. Until then, I'm not sure what to do. I'm not even sure if I can do whatever it is she wants."

The two of them thought it over a couple of minutes, but eventually came to the conclusion that nothing could be done about it at the moment. Koichi got off the bed again and wandered around the room. T.K. watched him, wishing that he could do the same. Suddenly Koichi opened a closet, yelled, "Ah-ha!" and pulled out what looked like one of those foldable wheelchairs that schools and hospitals carried.

"Need a lift?" Koichi grinned.

T.K. smiled as he eased himself off the bed and into the wheelchair with Koichi's help. Then the two of them set to the task of examining their "prison." Paressemon really had put them up in fancy space. They had a lush gigantic bed and a sitting area connected to the dinning area. A fully stocked kitchen could be found through a connecting doorway that came before the hallway. Down the hallway were three doors. One was a restroom, complete with seats in the shower and bars by the toilet to help anyone who was handicapped use the space. Koichi gently joked that Paressemon must have been expecting T.K. to be handicapped during their stay, earning him a nudge with the wheelchair. The second room was a walk in closet of sorts, racks of all types of clothing lining all four walls, but neither boy was interested in this space. It only meant that they would have clean clothes to change into after they showered. The third and final room was a library identical to Paressemon's own, only this one had an entire wall made of glass, giving them a view of the snowy landscape on the other side. The two of them stared out at it for a moment before they became aware of a presence behind them. They turned around and found their "host."

"You like it?" Paressemon asked them.

When neither of them answered, she stepped into the room, past them, and stood before the window-wall.

"This land is forever frozen in ice and snow," she sighed. "Nothing ever changes."

T.K. had retained a cold expression the moment the Zaigou had entered the room and remained tensed in his wheelchair, but Koichi had become the picture of perfect ease. Paressemon noticed their conflicting expressions and giggled to herself.

"Well?" she smiled briefly.

That threw T.K. off because it didn't look as if it were a foreign expression to her features. He could actually imagine her smiling often and maybe even laughing, which was something he hadn't associated with any of the Zaigou from what he knew about them.

"The rooms are very comfortable," Koichi bowed. "Thank you for your hospitality."

The Zaigou smiled again.

"Your companion doesn't seem to think so."

"Oh gee, I wonder why," T.K. rolled his eyes. "You abducted us and at the moment I'm temporarily handicapped."

"I am sorry about that," Paressemon sighed. "I had to use a stronger method to knock you out because you would have resisted the method I'd used on Dark, who was already willing to come with me."

T.K. couldn't believe that he'd just received an apology from a Zaigou. He sighed shaking his head in disbelief, but Koichi chuckled, earning him a glare from his 'companion.'

"What can we do for you?" Koichi asked, trying to move on to a different topic.

Paressemon sighed, turning away from them to look back out the window.

"There is little time left," she mumbled.

"Until what?" T.K. sighed, getting a little irritated.

"Until becoming normal again will become impossible for me," Paressemon explained.

"The Seven Zaigou used to be Digimon before right?" Koichi asked.

"No," Paressemon sighed. "Not all of the current Zaigou, but that does hold true for some of us. The older generation of the Zaigou were Digimon specifically chosen for our station, but many proved to be… unworthy and were deleted. So newer Zaigou needed to be made and were created from the discarded data of failed DigiVolutions and Digimon eradicated in battle. The new Zaigous of Wrath and Lust were the first ones created by the Master. I suppose you could call them the experiment Zaigou. The Master then went on to make the new incarnations of the Zaigou twins, Gluttony and Greed, with Envy soon to follow. He is the newest Zaigou among us, although it is only a matter of time before the Master makes a new Lust to replace the one that Fire had defeated. Pride and I are all that remain of the old generation of the Seven Zaigou… We must continue to prove ourselves useful, or face being deleted, but since you've all arrived in this world I've begun to long for the old days back when I was not some warped… monster. It is only a matter of time before I too am deleted like my old friend, the original Envy, who was once a charming Elecmon who had a larger than life ambition to become the most powerful Digimon ever so that he could protect everyone he cared about, but he simply couldn't Digivolve. He was envious of everyone else when they did Digivolve and he didn't. He was that way around all higher level Digimon. So he just couldn't resist the opportunity that the Master had offered him after all the others ran away and Elecmon stayed to face him. But despite his new power he lost himself in his envy towards the other, older, Zaigou who were still stronger then he was. He rose up against them bringing about his own deletion and I was left alone. It was after that that the Master decided that Digimon-based Zaigou were too emotional and he began experimenting with discarded data. If we showed the slightest sign of rebellion we were deleted. Pride and I have been extremely careful not to step on any toes and carried out all our orders without any hesitation. But in secret we have been searching for a way to leave the Zaigou and become normal again."

T.K. and Koichi exchanged quick glances before she continued. This was important information to know.

"What kind of Digimon were you before you became a Zaigou?" T.K. asked as nicely as he could.

Paressemon smiled sadly before she turned her back on the icy landscape she'd been looking at while telling her story.

"I was once a human much like yourselves," she stated. "Elecmon was my partner Digimon. I am all that is left of my group of DigiDestined. The Master destroyed them all before turning me into one of his minions."

Koichi and T.K.'s eyes widened.

"You're a human?" T.K. exclaimed.

"I used to be," Paressemon sighed. "My name was… Mai. Mai Kurosaki, but it's been a long time since anyone has called me that. For the last four years I've been Paressemon, Zaigou of Laziness. If I were still human I'd be Sixteen years old."

"How come you allowed Kushyamon to turn you into a Zaigou?" T.K. demanded. "What about your friends and family?"

"That's simple," Paressemon said sadly. "I was all that was left. This Digital World used to be linked to my home world and as a member of the DigiDestined it was our job to defeat the evil that was trying to take over and restore peace, but we failed. The Master had taken control of Earth and destroyed it. My group of DigiDestined was helpless to stop it as he made us watch the destruction of our home world. They all fought back and tried to rise against him, but when he and the current group of Zaigou proved to be too powerful they tried to escape. The original four Zaigou, including Pride, killed all my friends and their Digimon partners. In other words, the Master had them all slaughtered, sparing only Elecmon and I who saw no point in running away. I was only twelve at the time and I was so scared that I couldn't move even if I wanted to run away. The master made me a Zaigou as an experiment to see if humans made a better base then Digimon. I'm sad to say that I became one of the best and that is why I've lasted so long. Maybe it is because of his success with me that all the new Zaigou have a human appearance instead of a Digimon's like the older ones did."

Koichi and T.K. tried to process the information that the human Zaigou had just given them. It had never occurred to them that this world once had a group of DigiDestined too. It made them wonder what would have happened to their worlds if their groups had failed to defeat the evil Digimon like this world's had.

"Do you know how we can help?" Koichi asked.

"I do, but it won't be easy," Paressemon nodded. "That's why I need you. I need you to defeat me in a real battle and then scan my data. If you take away and purify my fractal code then I might be able to revert back into a human and become Mai Kurosaki again."

"Alright but why me specifically? Surely my brother would have been the better choice for this sort of thing," Koichi stated, but Paressemon shook her head.

"No," she sighed, tears welling up in her eyes as she spoke. "Only you can do it. As the Warrior of Darkness you have a connection to the Zaigou whether you are awear of it or not. If Light or any other Warrior other than you scans me then I will simply be treated as if I were any of the other Digimon you scan. That is all that they will ever see me as, an evil Digimon. But you, who have also fallen away from the light once before, see me for what I really am. That is what drew me to you in the first place when we first met. For the first time in four years I feel the shadow inside of me that was once human. I feel remorse for my actions. I actually feel something other than disregard for other living things."

"When do you wish to do this?" Koichi asked.

"I soon as possible," Paressemon stated. "By now the Master has probably caught on to my disloyalty. I have failed to do as he as ordered. I made contact with you DigiDestined and have gravely injured one of you to the point that they could have died."

"I'm not that hurt," T.K. tried to reassure her, but her next words sent ice through his veins.

"It is not you that I was referring to," she said, looking away. "It was your leader. He wouldn't have let me take you two if I hadn't dealt with him."

"What did you do to Tai?" T.K. demanded.

"I stabbed him in the chest," Paressemon suddenly sobbed. "I made sure to avoid hitting any vital organs like his heart, and I didn't leave him until I was sure that help would arrive in time."

"You stabbed him?" T.K. exclaimed, nearly finding the strength to rise out of his wheelchair.

"Couldn't you have simply knocked him out like you did with T.K?" Koichi asked.

"He was too strong willed for that to have been effective," Paressemon shook her head. "Besides, it wouldn't have been the way for a Zaigou to act. When something gets in a Zaigou's way we kill it. From a Zaigou's perspective I was merciful, but from a human's I was …monstrous. I-I can't take it any more! I hate myself for what I've become. Please! Just… help me."

The Digital World: Location: The Underground Tunnels

Tai hadn't been able to walk on his own for long so he was offered rides on the back of some of the other DigiDestined's Digimon. He rode Garurumon for a while before riding Kyubimon with Rika's grudging permission for the rest of the morning. In the afternoon he rode Cyberdramon for a good part of the afternoon before going back to riding Garurumon.

Everyone was surprised by how quickly they were now navigating the tunnels while following the orb instead of having to stop so that Koji could feel out which way they should go next. They had already covered twice as much ground as they had when they started out and hadn't run into any other problems with the Zaigou or any hostile Digimon. They didn't know where they were in comparison to the world above but when Izzi cross referenced his chart of the tunnels with the map of the Digital World he informed them all that they were most likely somewhere below the center of the digivice shaped continent.

"That puts us smack dab below the middle of enemy territory," Matt said uneasily. "I think we should press on until we're a good distance away."

"I dunno," Tai grinned. "This could be the ideal place to rest for the night. Who would expect us to hide ourselves right under the Zaigou's lair?"

Matt and Izzi frowned, not liking the idea one bit.

"I think that that's pushing our luck Tai," Kari said gently. "You barely escaped Paressemon alive. If Angemon hadn't brought you to Matt and the others you could have…"

Tai put an arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arm up and down gently, trying to sooth her.

"I'm fine Kari," he smiled. "Just a bit banged up. Really. Joe's fixed me up real good. And don't you worry about T.K. I'm sure he and Koichi are fine."

He looked up at Koji for confirmation and the Warrior of light nodded his head but he suddenly paused. His eyes glazed over and he began to stare unseeingly ahead of him.

"What is it?" Tai asked.

"Is it a Zaigou?" Matt wondered nervously.

"I doubt it," Izzi sighed.

"The orb that Paressemon gave me would be glowing if one of them were nearby," Tai shrugged off the concern. "I'm guessing that it's got something to do with Koichi."

Everyone was now staring nervously at Koji who had yet to snap out of his daze.

"He's shocked about something," Koji whispered, still staring off into space. "They both are. Something has happened that he wasn't expecting…"

"What has?" Tai asked. "What's happened?"

Koji snapped out of it as the link between him and his twin quieted.

"I'm not sure," he shrugged. "Something's surprised them both but not in a bad way. They are both still fine and unharmed."

Sighs of relief rose up from many of the DigiDestined, but Matt looked unconvinced and so did Tai and Kari and Izzi. Koji just shrugged at them again.

"Oh, and I think camping here will be all right," he stated before joining he three remaining Warrior companions. "The enemy above seems to be preoccupied with something they believe to be of greater importance then us."

Tai and Matt traded bewildered glances with Kari and Izzi.

"That guy gets weirder every time he's opened his mouth recently," Matt grumbled.

Kari and Izzi nodded, but Tai shrugged.

"He's coping," Tai said reasonably. "It's probably taking all of his self control not to go chasing after his brother right now. He is trusting his gut instinct at the moment and his newfound power to assure himself that Koichi is all right. If he's anything like you Matt, he's probably used to leaving that sort of thing up to Takuya, who's another person he's trying to cope with loosing. My only concern is what the Zaigou find more important than hunting us down."

"I wonder about that as well," Izzi mused. "Ever since our encounter with Aiyokumon, the Zaigou have been taking a strictly observational stand point other than occasionally riling us up by severely injuring one of us. According to what Tai and J.P. have told us, Iramon and Paressemon didn't wish to have you killed just yet. They haven't received an order to do so, as Koichi once pointed out to us. I can't help but wonder what they have planned."

* * *

Yikes! Who would have guessed that Paressemon was once a DigiDestined? What does this mean for Koichi and TK? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

While I was suffering from writers block this week i got bored and made a teaser trailer for this fan fic. Since links don't like this site, just go on YouTube and type in: The Ultimate Gathering of the DigiDestined Teaser Trailer and you'll find it. I dedicated it to you guys so i hope someone watches it. if for some reason you still can't find it look up SharaRaizel instead. if any of you do take the time to see the 3 1/2 minute long trailer I made, I'd really like to hear what you think about it and if I should make another the next time i come up with writers block! XD

getting back on track here, I must have rewritten the beginning of this chapter a few times. I kept getting stuck every couple of paragraphs. Paressemon is really starting to grow on me, which could only mean bad things for her. I haven't exactly been too nice to the characters i like. A lot of crazy stuff is going to go down in these next couple chapters so i hope you guys keep reading! i'll hopefully have the next chapter up monday or tuesday, so stay tuned! i apologize that this chapter short, but a lot of stuff was revealed and since I had such a tough time writing this one, i think it turned out well, all things considered.


	26. Hope and Darkness

Woo Hoo! i was on a roll with this chapter! as promised, chapter 26! please read and review and I hope you enjoy it!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 26: Hope and Darkness

The Digital World: Location: T.K. and Koichi's Prison Suite

Koichi lay on the large bed feeling battered and bruised. It had been four days since he and T.K. had been taken away from the other DigiDestined. During their last three days Koichi had been given his D-Tector back so that he'd be able to fight with Paressemon in an attempt to defeat her and revert her back to her human form. Unfortunately, he had yet to succeed in winning any of these mini battles. Paressemon was indeed a formidable opponent and she hadn't held back in their fights, but she always cut it short whenever she knew that she had Koichi beat. He had just returned from his most recent fight, feeling sorer than ever.

T.K., on the other hand, was feeling much better by now and no longer needed the wheelchair or Koichi's help to move around their prison suite. He still felt winded every time he had to move over a certain distance, but he preferred winded to being completely immobile since his stamina was growing every day. He was now kneeling on the bed at Koichi's side tending to his friend's most recent injuries. He wasn't anywhere near as knowledgeable in first aid as Joe was, but he'd picked up a few things over the years. Being a DigiDestined wasn't a walk in the park after all. He'd had his own share of cuts and bruises. Luckily Koichi hadn't received any serious injuries in his fights that T.K. couldn't handle fixing up.

"How are you feeling?" he asked Koichi.

"Sore," the Warrior groaned. "I feel like I'm making some progress though. This battle lasted longer than the others."

"By two minutes," T.K. smiled with a shrug as he dabbed some ointment on a bandage before applying it to a small cut on Koichi's cheek. Koichi winced when it made contact with the open cut, but didn't complain. Pain had become the norm for the last few days.

"Thanks for doing this," Koichi sighed.

"Well I have to make myself useful somehow," T.K. retorted. "I'd hate to think my only purpose here is to be a hostage."

Koichi smiled tiredly.

"Thanks," Koichi sighed again.

"You already said that," T.K. frowned.

"I'm not just thanking you for what your doing," Koichi explained. "I'm thanking you for simply being here. It means a lot. You didn't have to come, but you did. That is something I won't be able to stop thanking you for until this whole thing is over."

"Or until you die from repeated abuse," T.K. grumbled, when he found that an older wound from one of the previous fights had been reopened.

"There is that too," Koichi chuckled.

An awkward silence fell between them as T.K. continued to administer first aid, sometimes grumbling about having to rebandage another reopened wound or complaining about how a bruise was worse than it was the day before. When he was done, T.K. plopped down on the bed next to Koichi. All he wanted to do was sleep, but his mind was just too full. He was worried about Koichi's condition as well as Tai's, praying that the DigiDestined of Courage was still alive after his stabbing. He was starting to really miss Matt and Kari, and knew that they'd be worried about him. While thinking about his own brother, he couldn't help but wonder about Koji. How was the Warrior of Light doing without his twin? He had been devastated after loosing his best friend, Takuya, so how could he possibly be coping with loosing Koichi? True, Koichi wasn't dead like Takuya was, but for all Koji knew, he could be. Hell for all any of the other DigiDestined knew, he and Koichi were dead. T.K. was starting to doubt that he'd ever see any of them again.

"T.K?" Koichi spoke softly, dragging him out of his gloomy thoughts.

"Yeah?" T.K. sighed.

"Are you alright?" Koichi asked him, turning onto his side so that they could talk face to face."

"I'm fine," T.K. grumbled. "Why?"

"…"

He waited but Koichi simply stared at him. A little annoyed at his friend's sudden silence he sat up, ready to yell for no real reason, but stopped when he felt something wet hit his hand. For a moment he was shocked. When he stared back at Koichi he realized that the Dark Warrior's eyes were dry and that he was the one that was crying.

"Ah hell," T.K. hissed, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand.

Koichi slowly sat up next to him, but from the way he winced, T.K. knew that the simple change in position pained him. He stared at his battered friend; taking in his whole appearance this time instead of just one injury. What he saw seemed to be enough to send him over the edge. Koichi was in really rough shape, bandages nearly covering every surface of his bare exposed skin except for his face, where there was only the one small bandage on his cheek. Tears started to flow freely, and there was nothing he could do to stop them except let them fall.

"T.K?" Koichi whispered, a little alarmed.

"I feel so useless," T.K. whispered dejectedly, snatching his hat off his head and throwing it down next to him. He let out a growl of frustration before resting his head on one of his knees. "You're fighting _all_ the time. You're doing everything you can to help Paressemon become human again, while all I can do is stand by and watch you get beat up over and _over_ again. The only thing I'm good for is applying bandages and I'm not even good at that! I just wish that there was some way that I could help you! And I mean _really_ help you!"

T.K. shut his eyes, thinking of what a big baby he was being. He hadn't felt this way since he used to be the youngest member of the DigiDestined all those years ago during their first adventures before Kari had joined them. Why must it always be him? Why must he always be the weak and helpless one? Here he was wishing that he could do something that was beyond his capabilities, wishing that Matt were there to help or that Kari was there to boost his spirits. He flinched when he felt Koichi rest a hand on one of his shoulders.

"But you _are_ helping," Koichi told him softly. "Why can't you see that? Your very presence here helps me, and I'm not referring to your first aid. You're the DigiDestined of Hope, T.K. Your very presence helps me believe that everything will work out in the end. And it will! You just need to believe it yourself."

When T.K. didn't answer Koichi's hand left his shoulder. It was silent for a moment before Koichi let out a bark of laughter, making T.K. jump and stare bewildered at him. Had he gone crazy? Had Paressemon knocked his brain loose or something during their last fight? T.K. had always thought the boy was a little nuts, but this did not seem like a humorous situation to him at all.

"Sorry," Koichi gasped between chuckles. "I just find it ironic."

"What?" T.K. continued to stare, starting to question Koichi's sanity.

"That I, the DigiDestined Warrior of Darkness would be trying to be giving you, the DigiDestined of Hope, hope," Koichi chuckled. "Isn't it supposed to be the other way around?"

T.K. shook his head, amazed. When Koichi put it that way, the situation became at least a little humorous.

"How 'bout that," T.K. sighed, plopping back onto his back.

Koichi glanced down at him, a small smile still apparent on his features.

"Thanks Koichi," T.K. smiled back. "I needed that."

"No worries," Koichi laughed. "If we can't look out for each other, than how are we ever going to get out of our predicament?"

T.K. was quiet for a moment before he spoke.

"Yeah... And it's time I started doing a better job."

* * *

The Digital World: Location: The Underground Tunnels

During their last four days, the other DigiDestined were nearing the end of their travels in the tunnels. According to Izzi's laptop, they were only one more day's worth of traveling to the outskirts Netsusa City, where Paressemon had promised Tai that they'd all reunite with T.K. and Koichi. Matt was still doubtful about the promise, but Koji seemed to hold none of his misgivings. Koji had been acting pretty strange the last three days though. He was starting to look more tired and beat than he had the day before. The previous night when Joe insisted on looking him over it was discovered that Koji had many small bruises marking his entire body. At first it was believed that he had gotten the bruises from sleeping in weird positions on the tunnel floor, but that didn't explain the magnitude of them. Sometimes he would cringe or flinch for no reason, but he shrugged off everyone's concerns and kept on as if nothing was wrong.

"He's a psychic right?" Mimi whispered to Joe and Izzi after Koji's most recent check up. Rika was also with them, listening in while everyone else set up camp.

"So we are supposed to believe," Izzi replied skeptically.

"Do you think that he's getting those bruises because Koichi is?" she asked in a hushed tone.

"Puh-lease," Rika scoffed. "Only geeks who are into Sci-Fi think that's even possible."

"I know but just hear me out," Mimi pleaded. "I once heard that twins who share a deep bond sometimes share a mental link. If we believe that Koji can actually know how Koichi and T.K. are doing just by knowing how Koichi is feeling, then isn't it not that far of a stretch to assume that they share that kind of emotional bond?"

"Many scientists have contemplated that kind of theory for years Mimi," Izzi sighed. "And even if Koji and Koichi did share some kind of psychic bond how could Koji possibly receive wounds that Koichi may or may not be receiving?"

"Well I don't know," Mimi huffed, flustered.

Rika shook her head, but Joe seemed to be thinking about something.

"You know, you might not be that far off base, Mimi," the doctor-to-be mused. "I remember that once when I was working at the clinic I'm interning at, a woman brought her twin daughters in because one of them needed a flu shot. I waited with the other twin in the waiting room while the mother was with the one receiving the shot. When the shot was given, the girl receiving it didn't cry, but the one I was with did, holding the exact place where the shot had been administered on her twin."

Izzi and Rika still looked skeptical, but Mimi was nodding excitedly.

"So you _do _think it's possible that Koji has bruises because Koichi might?" she breathed.

"Since we're in the Digital World, it's highly possible," Joe nodded. "If Koichi was hurt badly enough, Koji could probably feel it's effects and receive bruises of his own. They are now both psychics in this world, and as twin's, their already strong bond is even stronger, creating an mental, emotional, and now probably a physical connection."

They all looked up at Koji while the boy was talking to Tai about something. Suddenly out of nowhere, Koji fell to his knees and clutched his side. Joe was off in an instant while the others watched on worriedly. Joe couldn't be right… could he?

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Paressemon's Fighting Arena

Löwemon clutched his side after receiving the glancing blow he had just been dealt. He was fighting Paressemon again, only this time T.K. had been permitted to watch the fight in the stands under the watchful eye of the lizard Digimon that was Paressemon's most loyal henchman. He was called Salandermon, a fire type Digimon, which was odd considering that Paressemon was the Zaigou in charge of the icy realm of this world. Koichi had had his doubts at first when T.K. told him that he wanted to watch the fight, but he couldn't be swayed. As he continued to watch the fight, T.K. was only beginning to realize just how dangerous this plan to release the Zaigou was. Paressemon had to fight all out and Löwemon wasn't doing too well against her. She was truly inspiring to watch. All her movements were like a dance, albeit a deadly one. She fought with a combination of kicks and striking daggers that seemed to float gracefully in her hands. There was a feline predatorial swagger to her grace as her wild unrestrained black hair flew about her face as if it were alive. In comparison, Löwemon had more of a heavy presence yet was surprisingly subtle. His movements were deliberate, precise and smooth with plenty of power behind them in spite of his previous injuries. Unfortunately this made him highly predictable in T.K.'s eyes.

Paressemon now whirled around on her heel and sent the other one out in a fast jabbing kick that crashed into Löwemon's chest plate. The Warrior of Darkness grunted under the impact, but he rose again in time to intercept her next attack with his spear and shield. The two held there at an impasse, neither giving ground to the other.

'_Come on Koichi_,' T.K. thought desperately. '_You can do this_!'

Suddenly Paressemon lost her footing, falling back and had to perform a backwards summersault in order to avoid Löwemon's slashing spear.

"What happened?" T.K. gasped, unable to understand what he had just seen.

"Simple," Salandermon hissed. "Sir Dark used the butt of his spear to knock her footing loose while her attention was on him and the shield. He's quite cunning."

T.K. also marveled at the sneaky move as they both continued to watch Löwemon press his new advantage. While Paressemon was pulling out of her summersault he used his Slide Evolution to become JägerLöwemon. The black metal armored lion leapt atop of the Zaigou and pined her down. T.K.'s spirits rose, but Paressemon easily wiggled out from under the beast form of the warrior. She threw her daggers at him, but they only bounced off his newly reinforced chrome Digi-zoid metal armor. JägerLöwemon followed up with an Ebony Blast attack, but Paressemon easily blocked it. What she hadn't expected was the follow up attack. T.K. had been expecting this because he'd realized at the beginning of their battle that no darkness based attacks would work. As a creature consumed by darkness, those kinds of attacks would have little to no effect on her.

After the Ebony Blast attack had cleared, JägerLöwemon burst through Paressemon's defenses and sank his fangs into her shoulder. The Zaigou let out a shriek of surprise, but managed to pry his jaws open and send him hurtling into the stands where T.K. and Salandermon were watching. The two of them got out of the way just in time before JägerLöwemon's body crashed into the arena seating. He let out a low groan and when he didn't get back up T.K. rushed forward, ignoring Salandermon's attempts to hold him back to keep him out of the fight.

"Koichi!" he cried as he fell to his knees besides his fallen friend.

"That certainly hurt," JägerLöwemon grunted.

"You almost had her that time!" T.K. said encouragingly.

"I thought that too," the Digimon Warrior sighed. "She's a tough one. I can't use any of my main attacks on her."

In a glow of dark light and fractal code, JägerLöwemon reverted back into Löwemon and rose shakily to his feet.

"You better get out of here T.K.," he warned his friend. "This section of the arena is now part of the battle field."

"You can do it," T.K. said firmly. "Just look out for her kicks. That seems to be her greatest strength."

"So I've noticed," Löwemon sighed. "If I could just-! Look out!"

Löwemon quickly pushed T.K. out of the way as Paressemon flew through the air to deliver another high-powered kick while throwing three daggers in a quick follow up maneuver. T.K. landed hard on his backside while Löwemon protected him from the daggers with his shield and diverted the path of Paressemon's kick with his spear.

"You're faster when defending your companion," she mused.

Löwemon began to have a sinking feeling when she said that. It grew as Paressemon prepared another attack, only this time it was aimed deliberately at T.K.

"Oh no you don't," he growled as he flipped the spear in his hand and thrust it's point up to stab her midsection, but with a swing of her nimble legs Paressemon managed to dodge what surely would have been a fatal blow, but he had managed to graze her left side. She hissed and backed off a few feet while she prepared herself for her next attack.

"T.K. get out of here!" Löwemon panted.

T.K. stumbled back a few paces, hesitantly following Koichi's orders, but something made him stop.

"_Hope will give way to Darkness and the lazy one will be let loose, ultimately deciding their fate._" A voice echoed in his ear.

He looked back at Salandermon, but he was no longer there. The voice had been too soft to come from the gravely hissing of the lizard Digimon anyway.

"_Keep that hope alive, T.K._" the voice spoke again. "_Trust in yourself and find the strength within you._"

"Who are you?" T.K. whispered, but the voice didn't speak again.

Find the strength within? What the hell was that supposed to mean? While he had been contemplating where the voice had come from and what it had said, T.K. completely forgot about the battle ensuing before him.

"T.K!" Löwemon's voice called out to him.

The boy looked up, startled, and saw another dagger aimed straight at his face. He was tempted to duck, which would have been the sane thing to do, but instead he felt that he shouldn't. He stared down the point of the blade and trusted Koichi to able to protect him from the blow. His faith was rewarded not a second too soon when Löwemon appeared in front of him and shielded him with his body. The dagger embedded itself in Löwemon's left shoulder since there hadn't been enough time to reach T.K. and raise his shield in the same maneuver.

"Are you crazy?" Löwemon cried over his now wounded shoulder at him. "I told you to get out of here!"

"But I knew that you'd protect me," T.K. told him. "You can do this Koichi. I have faith in you. I really do."

And he truly meant it. T.K. couldn't believe that only a week and a half ago he'd hated Koichi for what he was; true agent of Darkness. He'd never given the boy a chance until circumstances had forced them together and allowed them to get to know the other, especially during the last four days that they'd spent together alone in the prison suite. All of the times when he was ready to give up, Koichi had continued to cheer him up. Koichi had become his hope. Now here T.K. was, entrusting Koichi with his life without any doubts or misgivings. He was giving in to the reality of their present situation and putting everything in the hands of his new friend… Hope was giving in to Darkness. When he reached this realization, a bright light began to glow warmly from the center of his chest. The light spread throughout his body until it reached the very tips of his fingers, the tips of his toes, and even the tips of every strand of his blonde hair. He felt an incredible power surge within him, but he had no idea what to do about it. It was when he felt like he was on the verge of bursting at the seams with power that the voice returned.

"_Give it to Löwemon_," it instructed. "_Truly give in to Darkness_."

"How?" T.K. whispered softly.

"_It won't take much_," the voice said, "_just a touch._"

"What will happen?" T.K. whimpered as the power began to hurt.

"_A miracle_," the voice simply stated.

T.K. did as he was told and reached out to touch the back of Löwemon. He didn't know why he chose the wounded shoulder but if felt like the right place to transfer the energy. The instant his glowing hand came in contact with the wound, he felt the power rush out of him. At first it was exhilarating, adrenaline rushing through his veins like it did when a rollercoaster has reached the top of a tall, steep incline of track and rushes down as fast as it possibly can. Then when half of the energy was gone, he began to feel drained. The feeling only got worse after that and he felt consciousness beginning to slip away from him.

"_You can stop now T.K.,_" the voice informed him gently. "_The job is done. Stop the energy flow and look upon the gift you've given Koichi._"

T.K. managed to stumble back, his hand breaking contact with Löwemon's shoulder. He felt himself fall backward, but something stopped him from falling. He shook his head to clear the fog in his head from the energy transfer and looked up to see who'd steadied him. It was Löwemon, but he was now in a glowing gold vision of his armor. On his forehead, shield, and spearhead was a strange symbol that looked like a combination of T.K.'s crest of Hope and the Warrior's character for Darkness. There were two eye shaped ovals inside a rectangle under a sun shape.

"I don't know what you just did, T.K.," the golden armored Digimon said, his eyes crinkling with a smile, "but it felt great. I'm Golden Löwemon now. I'm going back in to fight Paressemon now, so you just stay here with Salandermon and rest, alright?"

T.K. nodded mutely, allowing the golden Warrior to set him down on his own two feet next to the lizard Digimon who was suddenly with them. He'd seen Golden Armor DigiVolution before, but this felt different as he watched the newly energized Warrior suddenly disappear before him and reappear on the other side of the arena.

"He can teleport now?" he gasped.

"That's not teleportation kid," Salandermon gasped. "He's just moving too fast to see until he stops. Wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it twice."

"Twice?" T.K. repeated, completely confused.

"Yeah," the Digimon nodded sagely. "Once the fight moved to the stands, I moved over here and saw all that happened. You started glowing with this strange light, then your companion started glowing, and the next thing I know he dashes over here in golden armor, drops you off and now he's back over there all within seconds. My Lady's going to have her hands full with him."

"I didn't even feel him move me," T.K. blinked, returning his attention to the fight in the stands now opposite him.

Back over on the other half of the arena, Golden Löwemon was starting to gain the upper hand. His newfound agility was starting to get to Paressemon. He could sense her fear, but also her joy. He was finally at a level capable of defeating her. Her daggers were virtually useless, unable to get a clear shot threw all his rapid movements. She was on the defensive, and was relishing in it. She still fought back with everything she had, but Golden Löwemon's spear was now making quick work of her defenses. He drove her back down out of the stands into the arena before he suddenly disappeared. She looked around her feverishly, sweet fear rising in her as she failed to locate the missing Warrior. Suddenly, she saw more than felt, the tip of Golden Löwemon's spear stab through her back and exit through her chest. It was immediately removed and her form darkened, a fractal code whirling around her.

"He's done it," T.K. sighed with relief from the stands.

Salandermon nodded mutely as he watched Paressemon die. Below them Golden Löwemon pulled out his D-Tector and swiped her code.

"Fractal Code Digitize! Be cleansed by the night!" his voice cried out as the data was purified and left the world in the form of a Digiegg.

A lovely young woman around the age of sixteen years now stood where Paressemon had been scanned. Her once black hair was now a vibrant red. Her once ice blue eyes were a warm green with flecks of gold in them. Her lips were now red and her cheeks glowed with a healthy warm glow. She stood before the golden Warrior with a peaceful smile on her heart shaped face. It was hard to believe that only seconds ago, she had been an agent of evil and had been giving them such trouble.

"Thank you," she whispered to Golden Löwemon as he reverted to his human form and T.K. and Salandermon joined them from the stands.

"My pleasure," Koichi smiled. "But the one that truly deserves your thanks is T.K. He saved us all."

T.K. blushed at Koichi's high praise, but he allowed the girl to thank him.

"I'd like to start over," she stated, straightening up and holding out a hand. "I'm Mai Kurosaki, and it's a pleasure to meet you two."

"Hello Mai," Koichi bowed before taking her hand to shake. "I'm Koichi Kimura and this is T.K. Takaishi."

T.K. bowed too and shook her hand. The newly revived Mai smiled, tears flowing freely down her face.

"It's good to finally meet you two as Mai and not Paressemon," she sobbed, allowing herself to be consoled by Koichi.

T.K. couldn't help feeling awkward as he watched Koichi hold the sobbing girl, but then he noticed Salandermon.

"Well, what about you?" he asked the Digimon. "Now that your mistress is no more, what are you going to do now?"

Both Mai and Koichi looked up, waiting for his answer. Koichi's hand strayed to his D-Tector in case he needed it.

"What a foolish question," the lizard Digimon snorted. "My mistress is not gone. She has merely taken on a new form, and I will continue to protect her and do anything that she wishes of me."

"Salandermon," Mai whispered.

Suddenly light shot out of T.K.'s Digivice and Koichi's D-Tector. The beams of light collided in front of them and after a flash of light, a red oval shaped device with a large rectangular screen and three round buttons appeared hovering in front of Mai.

"My Digi-Matrix," she gasped, taking it into her hand, speaking to it like a long lost friend. "You've returned to me. I thought that Kushyamon destroyed you."

Koichi and T.K. stared at the device in her hand. It looked nothing like any of the Digivices they'd seen before, and it actually responded to Mai's voice, scrolling its reply across its screen while beeping out in a digitally enhanced voice. It said:

"You were gone. Now you return and so do I. Welcome back DigiDestined Mai Kurosaki."

New tears were shed and they only increase when the device spoke again.

"Your old partner, Elecmon, is gone. New Digimon partner had been selected for your mission as a DigiDestined. New partner: Salandermon, Champion level, fire virus type. Attacks: Flame Whip and Scale Slash. Do you approve?"

"Yes," Mai sobbed. "Approval confirmed."

T.K. and Koichi traded sad, but relieved glances.

"Looks like an enemy's just become an ally," T.K. sighed.

Koichi only nodded as he did his best to console the now grieving girl. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but over time Mai would come to terms with the loss of her old partner and the horrible deeds she'd committed as a Zaigou. She had to if she was ever going to move on and right the wrongs that had been done.

* * *

Looks like something is actually going right for once! Will it last? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

this is probably the fastest i've updated yet! it'll be a few more days until the next one i'm afraid. i've got a test coming up that i really need to study for but after that i'll get right back to writing! I'm kinda having fun with the Paressemon - Mai character. I wonder how the others will react to her when they meet? Who knows! I haven't written it yet! :P

anyways, i hope you all enjoyed this chapter, because i really got into writing it. much more action than there has been in a while. So glad that this didn't turn out to be another filler chapter! ^_^

i kinda wanna hear what kind of role you guys think Mai might start to play in the story arch to come?


	27. Reunions

here we go! after my test today i just couldn't stop typing! XD so here's chapter 27 earlier than expected! enjoy! Please read and PLEASE review _**this**_ chapter.

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR THEIR CHARACTERS!

if i did, this would so get turned into an anime with all of the original directors, artists, casts working on it and I'd get to voice Mai!

* * *

Chapter 27: Reunions

The Digital World: Location: Netsusa City

The DigiDestined were relieved to finally be out of the tunnels and above ground again. It had taken them a day longer then they'd expected, but when Paressemon's orb had eventually brought them to a dead end, Kenta and Kazu were quick to figure out what to do next. They stood under the hovering orb and after a few seconds they disappeared like they had the one time when they were back in Himizu City. After everyone followed their example, they found themselves in the desert about half a mile away from Netsusa City. It was a bright and sunny morning and the heat was already a little overwhelming, but Matt didn't care. He was more concerned about how they were going to find T.K. and Koichi in this blazing metropolis. Netsusa City was by far the largest and most populated city in this Digital World and according to Izzi, it could have fit two Himizu Cities comfortably inside of it with room to spare. It irritated Matt that Tai didn't seem to know how to find the two missing DigiDestined because Paressemon had conveniently left that information out of her promise. Were they just supposed to walk around the entire city and hope that they'd run into them somewhere? Matt couldn't be too mad at his best friend though, because he had been stabbed in an attempt to stop Paressemon from taking the two missing boys in the first place.

"Well Tai?" Matt sighed after they looked around the first street they found while entering the city. "You have any ideas about what we should do next?"

Tai shrugged and looked hopefully at Izzi who was typing away at his laptop.

"I suggest that we head for the palace and meet with Lord Suzakumon," Izzi sighed. "This city is just way too big to split up in and cover efficiently even with our large numbers. If Paressemon keeps her word to Tai than we should run into T.K. and Koichi eventually."

Matt didn't like the idea of having to wait longer to see T.K. He was worried about his younger brother and the only guarantee he had that his brother was safe was Koji's word. He had to admit that any confidence he'd had in the boy's claims had been shaken after Koji's "episode." Two days ago while talking to Tai in the tunnels, Koji had suddenly collapsed clutching his side and began having a fit of some kind. It had freaked everyone out when the sudden attack didn't stop there. The boy's eyes clouded over and he began saying incomprehensible things under his breath. When Tai and Joe tried to snap him out of it, it was as if neither of them were there. Joe concluded that Koji's mind was probably directed somewhere else during that time. Even simply recalling the incident was giving Matt the creeps. He felt the boy making him paranoid because he could have sworn that somewhere in the garble of nonsense Koji had said:

"T.K. get out of here!"

After he snapped out of his fit, he acted as if nothing was wrong. The guy was a nut case! The truth was that Koji had greatly disturbed Matt and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to trust Koji even if his life depended on it.

"It's him," Tai suddenly growled next to him, stopping the group's progress into the city and brought Matt out of his uneasy memories. "It's the Digimon Paressemon summoned to take T.K. and Koichi away."

Matt looked up instantly, following Tai's gaze until he spotted a red lizard Digimon. It wasn't hard to miss because not only did he tower over the shorter happily oblivious citizens of the city, but he was also staring right back at them.

"Are you sure?" Izzi wondered. "My Digimon Analyzer says that that's Salandermon, a Champion level fire Digimon. It's not as if he's out of place here and isn't Paressemon the Zaigou in charge of the northern icy terrain? Why would she have a fire type henchman?"

"I don't know," Tai snarled, unconsciously rubbing the spot where he's been stabbed in the chest, "but I don't care either. That's him, and that means his mistress is near by."

"If that's true then why hasn't he run away or attacked us yet?" Sora asked reasonably as she rested a hand on both her boyfriend and best friend's tensed shoulders.

"I'm more interested in why he's out in the open," Izzi mused. "If he works for the enemy then the citizens of this city should be afraid of him like the ones in Sekizou were afraid of Crusademon. Maybe they're just not familiar with him because Paressemon doesn't control these parts."

"Who cares," Kari huffed. "I'm getting T.K. back."

"Yeah," Patamon nodded angrily from her shoulder.

"I'll go with you," Davis volunteered in a determined voice, but Tai stopped them.

"Hold on you two," he said reasonably. "Something's wrong."

Salandermon locked eyes with Tai before it turned around and walked away from them down the street.

"He's… leaving?" Mimi gasped.

"Let's follow him then," Rika declared as she brushed past Mimi and followed the lizard Digimon with Renamon right behind her.

"Rika, wait!" Ryo called out to her, running to catch up.

"I said hold it," Tai sighed with exasperation as he chased after them too, leaving everyone else no choice but to follow along. When he caught up, Tai and Agumon took the lead, much to Rika's irritation. Salandermon wasn't too hard to follow since he was one of the larger Digimon wandering the main streets of the city, but it confused them when he stopped at a food stand and struck up a conversation with it's proprietor. They all fell back to see what he was up to. He appeared to be having a normal conversation with the Togemon in charge of the stand, but they were interrupted by a familiar voice that called to the lizard Digimon over the din.

"Hey Salandermon! There you are!"

Salandermon turned to face the speaker and the DigiDestined were shocked to see T.K. race out of a nearby building to join the Digimon. He was wearing different clothes since they'd last seen him. He still wore his cream colored hat, but his yellow and green shirt was replaced by a mellow yellow one with a light brown leather over-vest that matched his tan shorts and sandals that had replaced his old tennis shoes. He appeared to be unharmed and in high spirits, but at the moment he was trying to scowl at his supposed abductor.

"It's not good to just wander off like that!" the boy cried. "This city's huge! What was so important that you had to leave me stranded in the middle of the market while we were shopping for supplies? I had to call the others up on my D-Terminal to give me directions to get back! Our friends are supposed to be arriving in this city any day now and we-!"

"T.K!" Kari cried, rushing out to see her boyfriend now that she was sure that it was really him. She couldn't stand by as a spectator anymore.

The blonde spun around to face her, a look of shock and happiness spreading across his features.

"Kari?" he gasped, as if unable to believe that it was really her. "Kari!"

He rushed to meet her and practically lifted her airborne, spinning her around in his embrace. Once he set her down he looked wildly around, finally spotting the others and ran into his older brother's arms and greeted his friends.

"Does this explain my whereabouts, Sir?" Salandermon asked T.K. when all the greetings were done.

"I guess it does," T.K. laughed.

"Guess what does?" a girl's voice called out from the entrance of the building that T.K. had come out of only minutes ago.

All attention went to the new comer as a beautiful girl walked out in a pair of brown leather open-toed sandals, faded blue jeans and a light brown shirt with long flowing bell shaped sleeves that had slits down the shoulder line so that it could breath in the warm weather. Her long flaming red hair was pulled back into an intricate bun made up of looped braids that were adorned with beads of gold, silver and crimson.

Behind her was Koichi, who was also wearing some new articles of clothing similar to the ones T.K. had on. He was still wearing his brown pants, but he too wore open toed sandals and a creamy off-white shirt under a maroon colored leather vest.

"Oh hey Mai. Hey Koichi," T.K. greeted them.

"Mai?" all of the others repeated as they stared at the new girl, except for Koji who rushed to his twin's side. The two shared a quick and silent reunion before turning their attention back to the conversation at hand.

"Good job at tracking them down for us, Salandermon," the girl smiled up at the lizard Digimon.

"You sent him out to find the others?" T.K. moaned. "A little warning would have been nice Mai."

"Hold on," Tai sighed. "Doesn't he work for uh…"

Tai glanced around the street, afraid to say the name of a Zaigou and cause unnecessary panic in such a busy part of the city.

"Perhaps we should move this reunion indoors," Salandermon suggested.

"Good idea," the girl – Mai – smiled. "Please follow me and we'll tell you everything that's happened over the last five days."

Once everyone entered the building – they now realized that it was a hotel – Mai led them all up the stairs to a small two-bedroom suite on the top floor. Most of them managed to fit in the sitting room, but a few had to settle somewhere in the connected open kitchen and dinning area. Once everyone was settled, T.K. and Koichi began to explain what had happened to them over the past five days since Paressemon had taken them. When it was revealed that Mai was actually Paressemon herself, many of the DigiDestined began to cast her hateful glares and some of the Digimon looked as if they were ready to fight. T.K. and Koichi quickly took up defensive positions before the poor girl and told them that Mai was actually a DigiDestined like the rest of them. No one wanted to believe them until she showed them her Digivice model the Digi-Matrix. With T.K and Koichi's encouragement, she then proceeded to tell them the story of how this world's DigiDestined were defeated and how she'd been turned into a Zaigou. After that many of the DigiDestined began to feel sorry for her and shifted their anger towards Kushyamon for what he had done to her and her partner Digimon. They seemed to accept her a little more than they had initially. After that matter was cleared up, T.K. proceeded to give an overview of the plan that they'd used to turn Paressemon back into Mai. No one liked hearing that Koichi had been fighting a Zaigou all on his own during that time, but then T.K. told them about the fight that he'd been allowed to witness. He recalled the fight as best he could, leaving nothing out when it came to the voice he'd heard, the strange power that had formed inside of him, and how he'd transferred that power to Löwemon, resulting in bringing forth Golden Löwemon.

"It was amazing!" T.K. recalled with awe. "Koichi was unstoppable after that! Paressemon didn't stand a chance!"

He high-fived Koichi while Mai, rather than be offended by her former self's defeat, smiled brightly.

"Who was the voice you heard, T.K?" Izzi wondered.

"I dunno," T.K. shrugged. "It did sound familiar though."

"Was it male or female?" Izzi asked.

"Male," T.K. nodded.

"Well, voice aside," Matt sighed beside his brother. "It sounds like you two found a way to take the rest of the Zaigou down."

"I wouldn't count on that," Mai retorted gently. "As Paressemon, I may have been one of the stronger Zaigou, but there are a couple of them who are definitely stronger then me. Besides, you really shouldn't solely rely on T.K. and Koichi to defeat the enemy by having them summon up Golden Löwemon's power again."

"Why's that?" Kari asked, not sure how to feel about the girl. She defiantly felt sorry for what had happened to her, but then again Mai had been the Zaigou that had stabbed Tai, and that was a deed Kari would not easily forgive the girl for anytime soon.

"Because he totally crashed an hour after he reverted back to his human form," T.K. sighed. "Scared the hell out of us! I thought he'd died or something. Salandermon had to move him for us when we came here."

"Sorry T.K., but I was whipped out and had to spend two nights and an entire day sleeping to recover," Koichi sighed. "In fact I only woke up a few hours ago this morning here in the hotel room. Becoming Golden Löwemon was great and all, because he's defiantly got a lot of power, but I'm not sure if it's worth loosing a whole day following a fight just to recuperate. Even now I'm still suffering from side effects."

"How _did_ you all get here?" Izzi asked. "Paressemon's lair is somewhere up north, right? It should have taken days for you to travel here, but you claim you've been here since yesterday morning."

"I'll answer this one, Sirs and my Lady," Salandermon offered. "After Sir Dark- I mean Koichi- collapsed, the three of us decided that it would be wise to leave the Northern Plane. Since her Ladyship is no longer a Zaigou and has been reinstated as a DigiDestined, staying there would only leave her vulnerable to an attack by former allies. I digivolved into my Ultimate form and we were able to fly here over night and arrive around dawn the next morning."

"You'd never believe how fast this guy is in the sky," T.K. grinned. "It seemed like forever, but if you consider the distance he traveled in only six hours, it's impressive. He also managed to fly us over the enemy territory without any mishaps. Which was defiantly a good thing since Koichi was out cold at the time."

"We may have been your enemies in the beginning," Mai said sadly, "but we wish to change that. As a former Zaigou I know things about the enemy that could prove useful to you in the future. You may not trust me now, and I can hardly blame you for that because of all the things I've done up to this point, but I assure you that I will do all that is within my power to help you defeat Kushyamon and the remaining Zaigou. While you may be doing this for the sake of your own worlds I'm doing it for my fallen DigiDestined friends, my pride as a DigiDestined, my destroyed home wold and… for my old partner Elecmon. I have nothing left to loose and that makes me one dangerous DigiDestined."

The red-haired young woman looked fierce and determined when she said this and stared everyone in the eye, daring them to deny her.

"Well spoken, my Lady," Salandermon nodded, proud of his human partner.

"But don't forget that you won't be alone in this fight," Koichi said as he and T.K. stood on either side of her.

"You got that right," T.K. nodded. "I don't know about the others, but Koichi and I'll stand by you. We didn't go through the last five days for nothing."

"I couldn't have said it better," Koichi smiled.

"I'll help too," Jeri suddenly stated as she rose to her feet and stood before her surprised audience. "I know what it's like to loose a partner and to be taken advantage of while in a state of grieving. No one has the right to do that to a person. Just like my friends when they took down the D-Reaper to save me, I'll help you avenge your fallen friends and Digimon!"

Leomon nodded behind his partner, as proud of her as Salandermon was of Mai.

"Well I'm in," Koji stood. "Don't think that I'm just going to stand by and let my brother go running off without me again."

Koichi felt a little hurt that Koji thought he'd go anywhere without him again, but he knew that the statement was well deserved. He hadn't been fair to Koji at all during the last week. The two of them needed to stick together.

"Hey!" Tommy cried, jumping to his feet. "Don't forget us!"

"Yeah!" J.P. and Zoe yelled, also rising up to join their friends.

"Count me in too," Rika stated stubbornly. "It's about time Renamon and I got in on the action. I'm sick of seeing these creeps mess with us!"

"Well if Rika's in, I guess I am too," Ryo sighed. "Can't have her going off on her own and getting into trouble like she usually does."

"I didn't ask you," Rika snorted.

"Whatever Princess," Ryo shook his head.

"If Ryo's going then so are we, right Chumley?" Kazu asked, looking at Kenta.

"Yeah!" the glasses boy nodded, thrusting his fist into the air.

"Now look what you started," Rika huffed at Ryo.

"I guess we're in too, right Takato?" Henry laughed.

"Ah, yeah," Takato blinked. "We were going anyway, right?"

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" Suzie, Ai and Mako were cheering, thrusting their fists in the air like Kenta.

"What about you older kids?" Rika demanded of the oldest group of DigiDestined who had yet to show their support for the new girl.

"Of course we're in," Tai smiled, finally getting to his feet. "We should all stick together for better or worse. We're all DigiDestined and we can't afford to ignore each other just because we don't see eye to eye with another person in the group. We need all the help we can get."

He held out his hand for Mai to shake. She looked at him uncertainly, remembering all too well that he was the one that she'd stabbed as Paressemon, but she took his hand all the same and he gave hers a firm shake.

"Welcome to the team, Mai," Tai grinned.

"Welcome! Welcome! Welcome!" Suzie, Ai and Mako cheered.

"It's good to be on a proper team again," Mai smiled back at Tai. "And the right one this time."

Ken rose from his spot and together he and Davis dragged Yolei along with them to greet the new DigiDestined properly. He, like Koichi and Jeri, could only understand Mai's situation all too well. Needing only a little encouragement from T.K. and Koichi, Cody greeted Mai alongside Joe and Izzi. Michael and Willace were next to greet the new addition to the team, welcoming her in their own way and as a joke, invited her to the unofficial outsiders club of the DigiDestined. Matt and Kari were a little reluctant but after some prodding from Mimi and Sora, they too followed Tai's example and shook the girl's hand.

Once everyone had at least welcomed, if not accepted, Mai and Salandermon into their group of DigiDestined, they all opted to leave the hotel room in exchange for something less crowded. After T.K., Koichi, Salandermon and Mai checked out of the Digimon hotel, all thirty DigiDestined and their partner Digimon made their way through the rest of the city towards the palace situated in its center. Now that they were reunited, Patamon wouldn't move far from T.K., preferring to rest on his partner's head or shoulders. Koji also stuck close to Koichi's side as if he were afraid that the two would get separated again. The two recovered DigiDestined were quick to catch up with their friends and siblings as they walked through the streets, but Mai kept herself detached from the group, leaving T.K. and Koichi as alone as they could be with their friends. Tai noticed this and decided to slip away and stealthily joined her.

"Not much of a social person, are you?" he smiled.

She looked sadly at her feet. He was the first and last of the DigiDestined that she wanted to speak to at the moment.

"How are your wounds?" she asked him.

Tai was quiet for a while, making her afraid to look up.

"…They're still sore, but they're healing fast thanks to Joe's treatments," he eventually sighed. This was not the way he'd wanted his first real conversation with the new girl to go, but he knew that she needed closure for her actions. He'd seen first hand what evil forces could do to completely innocent people and their Digimon. He only had to think of what had happened to Ken.

"I'm sorry," Mai whispered.

"Hey," Tai laughed, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. What's done is done. It's all in the past and all we can do is move forward."

"But I nearly killed you," Mai cried softly.

"Yeah," Tai shrugged. "But that wasn't your intension. I'm still here aren't I? Besides, there are a few here who can relate to you. You already know about Koichi, and Ken's got a similar story, and apparently so does Jeri, but I haven't heard that one yet."

Mai nodded, feeling a little better.

"Thank you," Mai sighed.

"No problem," Tai grinned. "Just do your best and help in any way you can and we'll call it even, alright?"

"You got it," Mai smiled back, a fiery determination lighting up in her eyes.

Tai patted her shoulder and started to turn the conversation towards a more casual one, but his efforts were ruined by a disturbance of some kind up ahead.

"Stop it! Please!" a voice cried out. "You're scaring the children! Someone please stop him!"

The DigiDestined were quick to respond to the plea for help and joined the quickly forming circle of spectators that were gathering to watch the incident. From what anyone could gather from what they could see or hear from the gathered Digimon's whispering, a strong Digimon was tearing apart another Digimon's curio stand. Izzi was quick to use his laptop to identify the perpetrator as an Embermon, a hotheaded Ultimate fire type Digimon. It looked a little like a red-skinned version of Flamedramon without the flamed print armor. He was wearing brown hide pants instead, with a matching vest and a pair of long clawless gloves. The stand's curator turned out to be another Togemon who was shielding four small Tanemon behind her as Embermon tossed a tiny flaming ball at the stand with a flick of his claw.

"Please stop," Togemon pleaded with the flaming Digimon. "I don't know what I did to make you angry, but I'll make it up to you if you'd just stop destroying my merchandise.

"That brute," a Gatsumon next to Tai muttered. "Thinking that just because he's one of the city's honored Royal Fighters that he can push us around."

"Who is he?" Tai asked the Gatsumon. The DigiDestined nearest him listened in, ready to pass the info on to the others closest to them who couldn't hear.

"Why? You don't know?" the Gatsumon asked, surprised.

"We just arrived in this city this morning," Tai explained.

The Gatsumon nodded, excepting his answer, and gestured to the red dino in western garb.

"That blow hard is one of Netsusa's highest ranking Royal Fighters that Lord Suzakumon keeps on hand to help fight in the resistance against the Zaigou. He's supposed to be a keeper of the peace and a good guy. It's been the Royal Warriors and Royal Fighters job to make sure that this city remains free from the control of any Zaigou scum. They've done a good job so far, so the citizens of the city tend to stay out of their way out of respect and gratitude, which is why no one is stopping Embermon. Lord Suzakumon is very selective about who he knights as a Royal Warrior or Fighter. Most of them are good-natured fellas, but occasionally one turns out to be a jerk like Embermon. He's been the Royal Fighter's Campion up until a couple of nights ago."

"What happened?" Tai asked.

"Everyone all over the Digital World was devastated when they heard that the promised Legendary Warrior of Flame died in battle against one of the Seven Zaigou," Gatsumon explained with a sigh, "so when our city's Lord declared that the next Flame Warrior would rise up in our city, every Royal Warrior and Fighter stepped up to try and fill the position, including Embermon."

"That must have been what the Zaigou were too preoccupied with to deal with us back when we were traveling in the tunnels," Izzi whispered in Tai's ear, but with a wave of his hand, Tai got the computer genius to shut up so that he wouldn't miss what the Gatsumon was going to say next.

"A couple nights ago, Lord Suzakumon announced that the new Warrior of Flame had finally been chosen by the Celestial Digimon," Gatsumon continued. "Obviously it wasn't Embermon. He was furious with the choice that had been made and believed that he should have been made the new Flame Warrior. I've actually seen the new Warrior. He's a little on the small side, but there is now denying his power. If anyone can help the legendary DigiDestined beat the Zaigou, it's him!"

"What did you say?" a voice boomed over to them.

The Digimon nearby cleared out of Embermon's way as he stared down the now cowering Gatsumon who had just realized that he's shouted out his last few statements. Tai couldn't blame him. Embermon was pretty mean looking without the direct death glare in the eye.

"Leave him alone," Tai and Agumon growled as they placed themselves before the poor Rookie Digimon.

"Yeah you big bully," Tommy shouted, stepping forward to help Togemon and the Tanemon. "Why don't you go pick on someone your own level?"

"You'll pay for your insolence runt," Embermon barked, throwing a fireball at him. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

"Tommy!" his friend's called out to the boy who was now too far away for them to help. The speed of the launched fireball was too fast and Tommy didn't have the time to spirit evolve.

Suddenly another fireball flew out of nowhere and blew up Embermon's before it got too close to Tommy.

"The kid's right Embermon," a strong confidant voice called out from the crowd. "Why don't you pick on me?"

Digimon quickly moved out of the newcomer's way as a cloaked figure made his way through the whispering crowd.

"That's the voice!" T.K. suddenly cried. "That's the voice I heard three days ago!"

"Really?" Tai demanded. "Are you sure?"

"Positive!" T.K. nodded.

"It's him!" the Gatsumon cried in awe. "The new Warrior of Flame!"

"What?" explained the shocked DigiDestined, who were still trying to process T.K.'s revelation. They all moved to get a better view of the newcomer to see their supposed ally. The new Flame Warrior's form was human in shape and appearance dressed in brown slacks, a tightly fit crimson tunic with what looked like a flaming golden bird printed on the front, brown hide gloves with a simpler faming gold bird adorned his hands, and simple brown hide loafers covered his feet. His cloak was brown with golden lining and crimson symbols etched into it. They couldn't see the upper portion of his face from beneath the cloak's deep and shadowy cowl, but they could see a white dazzling smile set within richly tanned skin. The Warrior stood before the crowd and Embermon in a relaxed manner.

"Well?" the figure called out.

"You!" snarled Embermon. "You wanna fight? Then lets fight!"

Embermon charged head on at the unmoving cloaked figure that was still smiling from behind his low cowl.

"Look out!" Tommy and Zoe cried out, but the Warrior didn't seem to hear their warning. If he did, he simply chose to ignore it. He remained standing where he was with the same serine smile, but just when Embermon was upon his he easily stepped to the side and let the dino fly past him. Embermon growled with frustration and decided to change tactics. He came at the Warrior with thrusting cuts and kicks, but the cloaked figure just continued to smile and easily dodged his attacks. Getting even more riled up, Embermon decided to play dirty and shot a blast of fireballs at Tommy, Togemon and the Tanemon. The cloaked Warrior quickly disengaged from the close quarters combat and managed to intercept the blasts long before they could reach their targets, but that maneuver cost him the mobility to completely fend on a well aimed slash from Embermon's claws. The sneaky attack hadn't wounded the Warrior, but it had ruined his cloak and tore it to useless shreds. Using it's remains the Flame Warrior sacrificed the rest of his cloak to halt another fire blast from his opponent and placed himself in a defensive position before Tommy and the other DigiDestined, who were shocked and amazed to see who he was without the cloak. Standing before them in living flesh and blood was none other than Takuya Kanbara himself, the old and formerly deceased DigiDestined Warrior of Flame.

* * *

Takuya's alive? How did that happen? Didn't the DigiDestined burn his body? Well you'll just have to find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

Yay! Sorry if Mai's first interaction with the DigiDestined wasn't what you guys had expected, but I just wanted to get to this last scene so you all could stop getting on my case for killing off Takuya! Did any of you expect him to be the voice that TK heard in the last chapter? Kudos to those of you that did. Takuya has been very busy in the afterlife as you'll soon see. I've been waiting to write the ending scene for this chapter ever since I killed Takuya off early in the story. I told you that I had my reasons for killing my favorite goggle head and in the next chapter you're going to find out why and if this takuya is the same as the old one. I don't know when I'll have the next chapter up, but it'll be soon! How many of you are happy to see takuya reappear? He's totally gonna kick ass whether he's real or not! ^_^

Please review! i really want to know what you all think of this chapter!


	28. The Flame Warrior Returns

Sorry for the wait on this one. Today (feb 20th) is my birthday and last night my friends distracted me and started celebrating a few hours early. :P I know you've been waiting for this chapter so go on! Please read and review! There is no better present for me then to read your reviews! ^_^ enjoy!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 28: The Flame Warrior Returns

The Digital World: Location: Netsusa City Main Market

The DigiDestined were shocked into silence when they saw who the new Flame Warrior really was, but Tommy recovered first.

"Takuya?" he gasped, praying that his supposedly dead friend's sudden reappearance wasn't an illusion.

"…It's good to see you again Tommy," the shielding figure said.

"You're not dead?" the youngest Warrior gasped. "It's really you?"

"…You could say that. Is everyone alright?" Takuya asked those gathered behind him while never loosing sight of his opponent.

"We are fine," Togemon responded when no one else did. "Sir Warrior of Flame, he destroyed my stand and threatened the children! I swear to you that they were only playing! They didn't mean him any disrespect."

"Well, all tough guys can be pretty sensitive," the Warrior joked, a familiar crooked smile still gracing his features.

"You mock me?" Embermon growled.

Takuya shrugged, making the fire Digimon even angrier.

"How dare you!" he cried. "How did an abomination such as yourself become the new Flame Warrior? You're nothing but Lord Suzakumon's pet experiment!"

"Funny how this experimental abomination is capable of kicking your ass," Takuya stated, his smile suddenly menacing. "Do you _really_ wanna fight me?"

A trace of fear flashed in Embermon's eyes when he heard the change in Takuya's tone, but the Royal Fighter quickly recovered.

"Bring it on shrimp! Digivolve to your Ultimate level and we'll fight for real!" he demanded.

"Oh, my current form is more than enough for a street brawl like this," Takuya calmly stated.

"Takuya!" Tommy exclaimed, shocked. "What are you saying? He's an ultimate level Digimon!"

"So?" Takuya asked, actually turning his back to Embermon, a serene and easygoing expression still on his face. "We all know that power isn't everything. He's just an overgrown muscle head."

"You mocked me once," Embermon growled. "I won't allow you to get away with it a second time."

That said, Embermon charged forward, right at Takuya who still had his back to the enraged dino Digimon. Tommy, Togemon and the Tanemon cried out in fear, but Takuya remained as he was.

"Takuya!" Zoe and Koji cried out a warning from the crowd to his right, but he didn't seem to hear them over the frightened exclamations of the Digimon spectators around them who were now moving back and out of the way of the impending fight.

Tommy crouched down, covering the frightened Tanemon as Embermon got closer but he glanced up at Takuya, wondering why he hadn't moved yet. Then, moments before Embermon was upon him, Takuya's eyes flashed a fiery red as he executed a well-coordinated and perfectly timed back flip that sent him flying over the charging Digimon. In mid flip, he reached out a hand and grabbed the spiked horn in the middle of Embermon's forehead, using his momentum to divert the direction of his opponents charge away from Tommy, Togemon and the Tanemon, and into the scattering crowd. When he was released, Embermon crash-rolled to the side a good ten meters down the street while Takuya landed gracefully on the balls of his feet.

"Do you wanna reconsider pursuing this fight?" he asked, his cheerful smile back in place as the red faded from his eyes.

"Never!" Embermon growled, jumping to his feet.

"Suite yourself," Takuya sighed, shrugging his shoulders the way an adult does when they are talking to an insolent child who won't listen.

Embermon charged at Takuya again, only this time Takuya bothered to take up a fighting stance. His eyes blazed red again and this time a thin aura of flames surrounded his entire body, concentrated mostly around his hands. When Embermon began to unleash a barrage of attacks Takuya easily dodged every single one of them, but never fired back with an attack of his own. The two of them were a blur of movement in the market's square. Takuya seemed to be waiting for something, but no one could figure out what that was. And they never would.

"Stop this!" a loud and authoritive voice called out.

Embermon ignored the speaker and continued to throw punches, but Takuya was quick to disengage and follow the order, breaking away from the fight in an instant and taking up a position beside the ruined stand and in front of the now gathered DigiDestined. They were amazed that Takuya didn't appear to be winded at all. Embermon growled at Takuya, but reluctantly turned his attention to the Digimon that had halted the skirmish. The new comer was a Gallantmon and when he made his way into the market square, the Gatsumon beside Tai told them that this Gallantmon was head of the Royal Knights and Lord Suzakumon's right hand man.

"Stay out of this!" Embermon hissed at the Mega. "This is between me and the brat!"

"Brat," Takuya scoffed. "Look who's talking? I'm not the one who just took his temper tantrum out on civilians and the DigiDestined."

Embermon froze, turning to look behind Takuya and at the creatures he now realized were humans.

"You mean those brats are the DigiDestined?" he sneered. "They are our awaited heroes?"

Despite his mocking tone, the other Digimon in the market's square stared at the DigiDestined reverently. The Gatsumon next to Tai began to shake all of their hands that he could reach.

"I wouldn't underestimate them," Takuya warned coldly. "They might not look like much, but they've defeated countless enemies before and I'm sure they'd have no problem taking down a miserable excuse of a fighter like you."

"You would know, brat," Embermon hissed. "You were one once yourself. But not anymore, you miserable-"

"That's enough," Gallantmon stated, cutting Embermon's insult off. "Young Master Takuya is-"

"An insult to our very existence!" Embermon roared. "He's an abomination that defiles the Digital World! His very existence makes a mockery of Digimon! He's an atrocity and a scandal! A bastard child formed of his old charred human flesh and spare Digital data! He-"

"I said that is enough!" Gallantmon ordered. "It is clear that you no longer deserve your title as a Royal Fighter since you cannot accept Lord Suzakumon's wishes. I hereby strip you of your title and banish-!"

"I demand my final right!" Embermon interrupted the knight Digimon once more. "The Fighter's code states that in place of banishment I may do battle with another to uphold my honor! I declare a Juédòu!"

The crowd gasped while Gallantmon remained silent for a moment before giving an irritated nodded. Embermon grinned evilly before raising a clawed hand and pointing it at Takuya.

"I, Embermon, Lead Fighter of the Royals, challenge Takuya, Warrior of Flame, to Juédòu!" he announced triumphantly.

"And I accept," Takuya answered instantly before anyone could stop him, his smile absent for once since his sudden reappearance.

The crowd erupted into a frenzy, many running off to tell others of the upcoming fight. Some were begging Takuya to reconsider his choice, while many others were yelling that Embermon was going down. The DigiDestined, who didn't know what a Juédòu was, looked around confused. From the look on Takuya's face, they had a feeling that it wasn't a good thing.

"Very well," Gallantmon sighed. "The Juédòu will take place at sundown, as it is custom. I will now take you, Embermon, with me into custody until that time."

Embermon growled at Gallantmon's words, but he allowed himself to be handcuffed by the knight.

"My greatest apologies to you, Warrior of Flame," Gallantmon spoke to Takuya. "I should make this disgraceful Digimon apologize for his insults."

"His words may have been insults, but that doesn't mean that they weren't true," Takuya smiled sadly. "We both know that, my friend. By the way, hot head over there destroyed Togemon's stand earlier because he got mad at the children who were simply playing and messing around like all little ones do."

"She will be fully compensated for the damages done and a new stand will be brought to her in the morning," Gallantmon told him as he prepared to drag Embermon away with him.

"Thank you Sir Warrior of Flame," Togemon cried as she took the Tanemon back from Tommy.

"No worries," Takuya smiled. "I was glad to help."

"Oh, Young Master Takuya," Gallantmon called over to him.

"Yes, sir?" Takuya responded.

"Where is Darkmon?" the knight asked. "Isn't she supposed to be with you?"

"Ah!" Takuya froze, guilt freezing his body.

"You snuck out of the palace again?" the knight sighed. "She just might kill you for it this time and then you'd be dead for good, Young Master."

"Yeah," the warrior sighed, rubbing the back of his head. "Don't worry though. I'm on my way back. I just came to meet up with some old friends."

He turned to face the DigiDestined with a big but embarrassed smile on his face.

"Shall we?" he laughed. "I know that you have a lot of questions, but all of those can be answered at the palace. We kinda need to hurry though. Darkmon's gonna chew me out again if I don't return soon. …Although, she might chew me out just for the fun of it."

"Who's Darkmon?" Tommy asked, still the only one really capable of speech at this point. "And why is she gonna chew you out?"

"Call her my enforcer," Takuya laughed as he started his way back up to the castle, the DigiDestined quick to follow him. "I kinda left the palace when I wasn't supposed to. She's not going to be too happy about it if she's noticed that I'm gone."

"Takuya," Koji finally managed to say as they entered the palace grounds. "Is it really you? I mean, is it _really_?"

Takuya's smile fell a few degrees, but he nodded.

"For the most part," he answered cryptically. "Weren't you listening to anything Embermon was saying about me?"

"I heard him called you a whole bunch things that were beyond rude!" the voice of Henry's Terriermon yelled out. "You shoulda slugged him!"

"Terriermon!" Henry scolded his Digimon, but that only made Takuya and many others laugh.

"There you are!" a woman's voice called out angrily.

"Opps," Takuya gasped, still laughing, "Busted."

A woman Digimon with golden wings and facemask landed in front of him, slamming the butt of her staff into the ground with a loud clang.

"Young Flame Warrior, where in Lord Suzakumon's name have you been?" she cried.

"Around," Takuya simply shrugged. "I was greeting old friends."

The winged woman Digimon seemed to notice the DigiDestined for the first time. She immediately came to attention and bowed deeply before them.

"Welcome," she said. "Forgive me for my incompetence, DigiDestined. You're arrival to our great city has been anticipated. I am Darkmon."

"Thank you," Tai bowed, everyone else following his lead.

Darkmon rose from her bow then returned to scolding Takuya.

"How could you leave?" she demanded. "In your condition, you shouldn't-!"

"What condition?" many DigiDestined demanded.

To all appearances, Takuya looked fine. But now that many thought back to the fight, Takuya had shown many skills and abilities that he hadn't had before and some of them weren't… human. Like that unbelievable back flip over Embermon.

"-be running around outside where I can't tend to you!" Darkmon continued as if no one had spoken. "Lord Suzakumon would have my head if something were to happen to you! You were only reborn two days ago! Allow your new body to adjust!"

"That is enough, Darkmon," a voice called out. "You know he won't listen."

Darkmon immediately turned around and bowed deeply. A middle aged looking man with sharp and striking features stepped out of the palace in flowing crimson, gold and silver robes.

"Rise Darkmon," he ordered. "You have done nothing wrong."

Darkmon responded immediately, standing at attention as the intimidating figure of Lord Suzakumon passed her to stand before Takuya.

"Well?" the Lord of the palace demanded.

"My apologies, Darkmon," Takuya bowed to the faithful Digimon attendant. "I did not mean to worry you with my actions. Thank you for your concern."

Lord Suzakumon gave an approving nod before facing his faithful follower.

"But it does seem your worries were warranted. I've just heard that tonight Takuya will participate in a Juédòu with Embermon," he mused, casting a surprisingly sly glance at Takuya.

"What?" Darkmon cried. "How could you be so reckless? Honestly! You being half human is more trouble than it is worth."

Takuya frowned, but Lord Suzakumon let out a hardy laugh, making everyone jump. This was not the intimidating Lord that they had imagined from his stern entrance and appearance.

"On the contrary," the lord smiled. "It is that very quality in Takuya that made him the ideal host for the spirit of my son, Agunimon, back when he was a human, and now it is that same quality that's made their souls compatible for a merged rebirth."

The DigiDestined didn't know what to comment on first: the fact that it appeared this revived Takuya was a Digimon/Human hybrid, or the fact that the spirit of Agunimon was Lord Suzakumon's son.

"It seems like we have a lot of explaining to do," Lord Suzakumon mused as he took in the various expressions of the DigiDestined's faces. "Shall we continue this indoors?"

Once inside the palace walls, the DigiDestined were brought to a large sitting room where there was plenty of seating for Digimon and human alike. Lord Suzakumon took the grandest looking chair. On his left sat Duskmon and Takuya was on his right.

"Alright then," Lord Suzakumon sighed as he eased into his chair. "What would you like to know about first?"

Tai acted as spokesman for the DigiDestined once more, sitting at the front of the group with the Warriors, who were trying to sit as close to Takuya as it was possible.

"I think we'd all like to know how Takuya is alive. We all saw him die and burned his body in a pyre," Tai stated, casting an apologetic look in Takuya's direction. The boy in question simply shrugged it off and gave them an understanding smile.

"Indeed," Lord Suzakumon nodded. "That is an interesting story to tell, but let me ask you something first. Why did you burn Takuya's body instead of bury it?"

Tai glanced at the Warriors, gesturing for Koji to answer.

"We felt that it was the right way to send him off," Koji answered, his eyes clouding over as he remembered.

"Really?" The Digimon Lord asked, a knowing look in his eyes.

"Oh!" Tommy suddenly exclaimed. "It was those dreams we had! Agunimon visited us in our dreams the night before we burned Takuya's body!"

"That's right!" Zoe gasped.

"I'd forgotten about that," J.P. sighed.

"Me too," Koichi chuckled sadly while Koji simply nodded.

"Wait a minute," Koji sudden gasped, making the connection. "Did you have anything to do with that?"

"Actually no," Suzakumon laughed. "It was all Agunimon's doing. When Takuya died, Agunimon's spirit was freed of the now inactive and useless device. He sought me out and asked me if I could some way to revive and save his human host. I hadn't thought that the Warrior Spirit of Flame would turn out to be my long lost son. His request left me at a lost as to why he would want a human brought back to life. Since you humans are not made up of data like we Digimon are I believed that even with the Celestial Digimon's powers that it was impossible. That is until Zhuqiaomon himself spoke to me. He told me that because the most recent Warrior of Flame had had a human host body and a Digimon spirit, young Takuya was only dead in body. Spiritually, Takuya was more alive than ever in a strange kind of limbo along side Agunimon. Under Zhuqiaomon's orders, Agunimon reached out to the remaining Warrior spirits' hosts and planted the suggestion that you burn Takuya's body instead of burying it."

"What would burning his body accomplish that burying it wouldn't?" Tai asked for Izzi, who'd just uttered that same question under his breath behind him.

"Takuya was human," Suzakumon explained. "Burning him allowed us to process his body as bits and pieces of data, whereas if you'd simply buried him, we wouldn't have been able to process him until his body had fully… decomposed? Is that what you humans call it when you're bodies break down? Anyways, even then it'd be far too late. A spirit can only linger in limbo for so long before it is either reborn, or vanishes completely. That is how it works in this world. Agunimon did not wish that fate to befall his human host so he offered to allow his spirit to finally be reborn, on the condition that Takuya was brought back with him."

"So where is Agunimon?" Tommy asked, unable to help himself.

They all looked around, thinking that they'd suddenly see the Warrior appear. When he didn't they cast confused looked back to Takuya, but realized that he wouldn't look any of them in the eye.

"Agunimon," Lord Suzakumon sighed, "is Takuya's new Digimon half. They have literally become one being. The only way to bring Takuya back was to place him in a digital body. However, a human spirit isn't compatible with a digital body, even if he'd been host to a digital spirit. But it was because he was a bodily host; it meant that some parts of his body had become accustomed to digitalization. Again, this is why Agunimon had you burn his body. We were able to take all the digitalized particles inside of the old human body and reconstruct them like we would do with any Digimon, but, as I said, only parts of the body were compatible, mostly his outer shell. The Takuya sitting beside me has the appearance of a human, but inside we were unable to replicate a human nervous system… so we gave him the inner workings of a Digimon, Agunimon's to be more exact."

"So what happened to Agunimon?" Tai asked.

"Well, the body that was being created was half human and half Digimon," Suzakumon explained. "So the spirits needed to merge as well. To the rest of you, Takuya has only been dead for a week and a half, but to him and Agunimon, it has been many months. They have been working together in a special spirit world in order to merge into one being, but that isn't as easy as it sounds. The two needed to share everything with each other; memories, thoughts, feelings, and a lot of other things along those lines. Takuya, being only twelve in human years, didn't have nearly as much to share, as his spirit companion. Agunimon has lived several lifespans as the reborn Warrior of Flame. Even I can't imagine the amount of knowledge and experiences Agunimon must have been housing inside of him when he became the Warrior of Flame. After everything was shared, Takuya had to do the entire thing over again with Agunimon's beast half, BurningGreymon. And even after all of that, he needed to prove to the spirits that they were compatible and be accepted by them. Agunimon had already accepted Takuya due to his actions in the Warrior's name while alive, but BurningGreymon wasn't as accepting."

"I can imagine," Koji sighed. "I can remember the first time Takuya used the beast spirit. He lost control."

"But he learned to control it later," Tommy spoke up, trying to sound optimistic, but Lord Suzakumon shook his head.

"Controlling a spirit isn't the same as getting along with it," Suzakumon explained. "As a spirit on the same level as BurningGreymon, Takuya wasn't in a position to try and control the beast spirit. In fact, he was more in danger of being possessed, but his mental battle Aiyokumon proved to be a useful experience."

"How so?" Tai asked.

"Fighting that mental battle gave Takuya the strength and the ability to seal off his mind from outside influences and prevent BurningGreymon from possessing him. For a being new to those types of battles, Takuya is a fast learner."

"How did Takuya get BurningGreymon on his side?" J.P. asked.

The Fire Lord gestured for Takuya to answer.

"It wasn't easy," Takuya laughed. "BurningGreymon is a tough one to get along with. At first all he wanted to do was fight, so I had to learn how to move pretty quickly if I wanted to avoid being whipped out of existence."

"How is that possible if you were a spirit?" Izzi piped up from behind Tai.

"You'd be surprised," Takuya grinned. "I asked Agunimon the same thing. He told me that in this Digital World's spirit world you have a body that moves just like a living one, only you don't have the pains or any problems you might have had when you were alive. It kinda feelings like you're floating inside. You don't really have too many cares… unless you have BurningGreymon trying to kill you. After a while he got bored of the fights, but still hadn't accepted me. He apparently thought that I was only good for running away. I got a little mad and kinda took off, not really caring what happened to me anymore. I was more worried about you guys. After fighting so much in the spirit world I kinda developed a sixth sense and began to feel many disturbances. Against Agunimon's advisement I often tried to meddle with the goings-on in this world and found that I could wander into some of your dreams and give you warnings whenever I could."

"So that was really you?" Koji demanded, referring back to his dream about the underground tunnels and the strange-cloaked boy.

"Yup!" Takuya grinned. "Because you are the Warrior of Light, Koji, you have the closest connection to the spirit world, with Kari running you a close second as the DigiDestined of Light. I tried speaking to the others, but I just couldn't make a clear connection. Sorry if I gave any of you strange dreams."

"What about the time Koichi was fighting Paressemon?" T.K. asked. "I swear that it was your voice that I heard."

Takuya nodded.

"It was the last communication I made from the spirit world before I was reborn. I have to admit that I had been trying to reach you for some time. As the DigiDestined of Hope, you're one of the supposedly reachable DigiDestined from the spirit world. For some reason I couldn't reach out to you until you began to trust Koichi and begin to hope again. Apparently you're negativity was blocking me out. Agunimon had allowed me to get away with my previous interferences since Koji had been asleep, for the most part, during our communications, but he was against me reaching out to someone who was awake. It was harder to do if the person I was trying to contact wasn't unconscious, so it took a lot of effort of my part to talk to you that day. However, it was Agunimon's disapproval that earned me BurningGreymon's approval. After T.K. succeeded in fulfilling that part in the prophecy, BurningGreymon accepted me and we began the process of being reborn."

"Why did he choose to accept you at that point?" Zoe asked.

Takuya looked up at the Fire Lord who nodded and took over for the rest of the explanation.

"BurningGreymon is the true essence of the Fire Warrior. He passes on from one Warrior of Flame to the next with every rebirth. When he finally settled and chose Agunimon, he chose him for his recklessness and courage. As Agunimon got older and became more experienced, he began to become less reckless, angering the beast spirit. That is why Takuya got possessed the first time they'd met. BurningGreymon didn't get to choose the new Warrior that time. Agunimon had made the choice and so BurningGreymon assumed that the boy wouldn't be worthy. But Takuya has proven him wrong many times. The truth is that I'm sure that BurningGreymon had already accepted Takuya as the new Warrior of Flame long before they faced off in the spirit world. He just didn't want to approve of him simply because Agunimon did, so when Takuya showed that spark of recklessness that Agunimon disapproved of, BurningGreymon found his excuse to accept the boy. Funny how stubborn old spirits can be."

"Not only the spirits, Sir," Darkmon muttered, glancing at Takuya who grinned shamelessly back at her.

"So once the three spirits had accepted each other," Lord Suzakumon continued as if nothing was said, "the four Celestial Digimon summoned them from the spirit world and fused them together. Once the spirit was in tune with the body that had been created they sent the newly formed egg to me and waited for the new Warrior of Flame to be reborn. It took only one night, but the awakening might have happened too soon."

The Lord of Flame cast a troubled glance at Takuya who shifted uncomfortably.

"Why? What's wrong with him?" Koji asked, ignoring Takuya's offended glare.

"The spirit is still adjusting to its new formation and it's getting used to the new body," Suzakumon sighed. "As the first true Digimon/Human hybrid in existence, there was no way we could know what to expect. Takuya is obviously the dominating personality of the newly formed spirit, but at times it seems like he's suffering from a multiple personality malfunction. If that weren't bad enough, his senses have become heightened to the level of a seasoned fighter Digimon due to his enormous progress and drawn out time in the spirit world. It can be a little over whelming for him at times and he just stops functioning altogether. That is why I've ordered Darkmon to keep an eye on him. He's in a very unstable condition at the moment. He hasn't learned how to control them yet."

Takuya frowned and looked away, not liking his problems listed in such a way that it made him sound psychotic and handicapped.

"What kind of sensory problems?" Joe asked, taking a medical standpoint.

"Well," Darkmon sighed. "His hearing in impeccable, so if something is too loud he just shuts down and tries to block it out. Similar occurrences have happened with overpowering odors and even his sight is affected. He's become sensitive in his senses of touch and taste, so we try to watch what we give him. He doesn't seem to mind overly spicy food though."

"He _is_ the Warrior of Flame," Suzakumon chuckled at his subordinate. "I doubt anything is too hot for him to handle."

There was a sudden knock at the door and in walked Gallantmon.

"Forgive me my Lord," the knight kneeled, "but I'm afraid that the time for the Juédòu is fast approaching and Young Master Takuya has yet to prepare."

"Ah yes," Suzakumon sighed. "Very well. Will you escort him down to the arena?"

"It would be a great honor, my Lord," Gallantmon bowed as he rose.

Takuya wordlessly stood up to leave, but Tai's next question stopped him.

"Excuse me, Lord Suzakumon, but what is a Juédòu?" the lead DigiDestined asked.

"A Juédòu is a duel to the death," Lord Suzakumon sighed bitterly before looking at the boy to his right. "…I really hope you know what you're doing Takuya."

Takuya turned the Fire Lord and bowed. When he rose again, his eyes were suddenly clear crystal blue.

"We know what we are doing," he said in a strange voice, but within the blink of an eye, the blue was gone, back to its original honey brown as he spoke again in his normal tones. "I won't lose."

* * *

So Takuya really is back! Sounds like he's been through quite a lot too. How will his duel go with Embermon? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

Yay~! I've been waiting to bring Takuya back. I thought long and hard about how to do it too. so what did you guys think? plausible? do you have any questions that didn't get answered in this chapter that you'd like answered in the next one?

Now we'll get to see the new Takuya fight for real! Koji's a little upset about all of this though, if you can't tell. He's just spent the last week accepting that Takuya was dead, and now he's back smiling and acting as reckless as ever! Next time we'll see how the two get along after all of this. I really hope you guys review! I get so happy every time i open my e-mail to find a new notice that one of you guys have reviewed and it'd be just great if you could for my birthday! I'm stuck in my college dorm room all day due to heavy snow so it would really cheer me up. ^_^


	29. Juédòu

Sorry for the wait. I had a bad case of writers block... again. That seems to be happening to me a lot lately as midterms get closer for me at college. On the bright side, i will hopefully be able to get some chapters out over spring break. Please enjoy the chapter! Please review.

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ITS CHARACTERS!

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Chapter 29: Juédòu

The Digital World: Location: Netsusa Palace

"Why don't you all come with me to my personal viewing booth?" the Fire Lord invited the DigiDestined once Takuya and Gallantmon were gone. "You'll have a good view of the fight that is about to take place. And Darkmon? Please have the staff arranged the appropriate amount of seating."

Without a word Darkmon took off down the hall and the DigiDestined followed Suzakumon at a more leisurely pace. They passed through grand hallways and large richly decorated rooms before they finally arrived at a door that led out onto a wide balcony where some Agumon were placing a few more chairs on the end under Darkmon's orders. When they were done, the servant Agumon greeted Tai's Agumon with warmth and welcomed everyone else before bowing to their King and leaving. Suzakumon took his seat and wordlessly gestured to the view below. Before them was a grand arena similar in design to the Roman Coliseum, only this one was large enough to fit the entire population of Netsusa. Its stands were already filled with spectators. There were four large plasma screens evenly spaced around the top of the arena to provide a better view of the events below for the spectators. Darkmon informed them that the fight would air to the rest of the city that was gathered, and to the surrounding villages and towns in the region.

"Lord Suzakumon," Izzi inquired, taking one of the seats next to Tai and the monarch. "It seems odd to me that Embermon would challenge Takuya to this duel. Takuya didn't have any problems fighting him in the market earlier. There is also the fact that Takuya's part Digimon now so I've been wondering what level his human form represents. He also no longer has a digivice. Can he even Digivolve without one?"

Everyone was now seated and awaiting the answer to Izzi's question.

"It's interesting that you bring up his level," Lord Suzakumon smiled, almost to himself. "You said that he had no problem fighting Embermon in the market, but did he actually attack during that fight?"

"No," Izzi said slowly. "All he did was dodge and redirect Embermon's attacks."

"That is because Takuya had no intention of attacking," Darkmon stated. "Even if he did, his human form's attacks wouldn't have been effective on an ultimate level Digimon like Embermon. His human form is more agile and mobile which is useful for evasive tactics."

"Takuya was most likely distracting Embermon until a higher authority like Gallantmon showed up to reprimand him. Takuya's human form is his new body's equivalent of an In-Training level Digimon," Suzakumon stated.

"What?" everyone exclaimed, exchanging shocked glances.

"You mean he's the equivalent of Agumon when he's Koromon?" Tai gasped.

"Yes," Suzakumon nodded. "But power wise, he's at the Rookie level."

"Then what is his Rookie level form like?" Izzi asked.

"It wouldn't happen to be Flamemon, would it?" Koji asked.

Darkmon and Suzakumon nodded while Izzi pulled up his Digimon database to find the profile on the Digimon that Koji had mentioned, but couldn't find any mention of a Flamemon.

"You won't find any of the Digimon forms belonging to any of the Legendary Warriors in your database, young one," Suzakumon informed Izzi.

"Why's that?" Izzi asked, not liking the idea that his database was incomplete.

"That database of yours is specified to your world alone," Suzakumon told him. "If you give it to Darkmon, she'll have our specialist, Datamon, take care of it."

While Izzi was doing just that, Koji took up the original line of questioning.

"So how powerful is Takuya when he's Flamemon?"

"He's defiantly strong," Darkmon mused, handing the laptop over to an Agumon who then proceeded to hurry out the door so as not to miss the battle that would soon be starting. "He's even given _me_ trouble in that form, and I'm an Ultimate level Digimon like Embermon is. He'll probably start the fight as Flamemon to wear Embermon down and then finish him off as Agunimon."

"Really?" Izzi asked, skeptically. He'd gotten the impression that Takuya was more of a reckless and action driven fighter type from what the Warrior DigiDestined and Darkmon had said about him and what he'd seen so far.

"You'd be surprised," Koji informed the genius. "Takuya can be very resourceful. It's one of the many qualities that made him the leader of our group."

"So would it only follow that Agunimon is his Champion form and BurningGreymon is his Ultimate level?" Izzi asked, getting back on track.

"Yes," Darkmon and Suzakumon nodded in unison. "And Aldemon is still his Mega form."

"Is he able to become EmperorGreymon?" Koji asked, getting a surprised look from Tai. Tai and the others had never heard of any higher evolutions beyond Mega. It still came as a great shock to the older boy that a few of the spirits that the Warrior DigiDestined used were similar to the higher DigiVolutions of Agumon and his friend's Digimon.

"I do not know," Suzakumon admitted. "He'd have to try, but yesterday evening I saw him Digivolve into Aldemon. He managed to hold that form for a few minutes before reverting back into his human/in-training form."

"Why did it last only a few minutes?" Izzi wondered.

"Because that form held so much power that if he didn't power down he would have destroyed everything that was within a two mile radius," Darkmon answered grimly. "His mega form has exceeded the power of any other mega Digimon that I have ever known, but controlling that power is draining. Without any useful outlet to unleash that power, Takuya has to rein it in and suppress it. He was out cold until early this morning."

"We're not sure if it is a side-effect of being a hybrid Digimon-human," Suzakumon sighed, running a hand over his face, "but it is another sure sign that he has not yet adapted to his new body and that his power may be out of control. That is why this fight worries me."

Before anything else could be said, the plasma screens flashed on and showed Embermon, unshackled, enter the arena from the far end opposite of where they were sitting. The crowed booed at him until the screens changed to Takuya's entrance. The crowd then erupted into cheers and Suzie jumped out of her seat next to Henry to peek out over the balcony's rail.

"He's right below us!" she squealed. "Hiya Takuya!"

"Suzie!" Henry groaned. "Get back in your seat!"

Suzie ignored her brother and waved down to the boy below. The screens showed the Fire Warrior glance up above him. Now that she had his attention, Suzie began to wave even harder. Takuya let out a laugh and gave her a wink and the thumbs up before facing his opponent. Embermon was glaring daggers at him.

"Think you're pretty hot stuff, do ya?" Embermon growled.

Takuya shrugged before clasping his hands behind his head as he settled into a relaxed slouched position.

"Bastard," Embermon grumbled.

Henry had finally pulled Suzie back from the balcony railing and sat her in his lap so that she wouldn't get up during the fight.

"Kick his booty Takuya!" Suzie cheered, Ai and Mako echoing her.

Takuya had apparently heard them because he whirled around to give them his trademark lopsided grin that was beamed around the arena.

"He heard that from all the way down there?" Izzi asked, amazed.

"I told you that his senses were heightened," Suzakumon chuckled. "But it is rather incredible that he heard them over all the noise of the audience."

Gallantmon's image suddenly appeared on all of the screens.

"Ladies and Gentlemon!" his voice echoes out around the arena. "I now pronounce that this Juédòu between Former Lead Fighter of the Royals, Embermon, and the Warrior of Flame, Young Master Takuya, has officially begun!"

As Gallantmon's words echoed and faded around the arena, Takuya and Embermon began to slowly circle each other.

"What is going on?" Rika wondered aloud. "Why don't they just go at each other?"

"They are sizing each other up," Darkmon explained. "The Juédòu has a procedure that must be followed. First, the combatant's circle each other counter clockwise for one rotation. At the end of the rotation, they then exchange a blow and circle clockwise for half of a rotation. After that they look to Lord Suzakumon and he will either give the signal stating that it is all right for them to continue the duel or if they should stop. If he gives his approval, then they will then fight all out until one of them has been deleted. If he doesn't, the fighters will promptly leave the arena. Although, since this is Embermon we're talking about he will fight whether Lord Suzakumon allows it or not."

"Why would he stop the fight in the first place?" Ryo asked, annoying Rika.

"Sometimes one blow is all that it takes," Darkmon sighed. "If the challenger's strength seems greater than his chosen opponent, the fight will be called off because it wouldn't be fair to stage such a fight. But since Takuya is the one being challenged, I doubt that there will be any reason to call this off. Now, if it were the other way around, and Takuya was the challenger, this fight might have been called off due to the fact that Takuya will undoubtedly have no problem taking him down."

"So you think there is no way he can lose?" Rika asked before Ryo could.

"I didn't mean say that," Darkmon sighed. "I simply meant that the fight is in his favor. There are many things that can go wrong in this duel, because other than the ceremonial start, the actual fight itself follows only one rule: anything goes within the walls of the arena. What worries me the most is that Takuya may lose control of either his powers or his senses. Either of those will prove to be disastrous disadvantage against a fighter like Embermon."

They all looked back out to the arena just in time to see Embermon and Takuya complete their rotation. Embermon suddenly charged at Takuya while the Flame Warrior did the same. Just before impact, Takuya's body burst into flames. When they collided a cloud of dust flooded the arena and there was a resounding clang followed by dead silence. When the dust settled, Embermon could be seen starting the half rotation and a brown red-haired creature Takuya's height could be seen on the opposite side of the arena mirroring his movements.

"Guess that answers my question about Digivolving," Izzi muttered.

"So that is Flamemon," Koji muttered loud enough for the others to hear.

"You mean you've never seen him like this?" Tai asked.

"No," Zoe shook her head. "There was a time, back when Koichi was Duskmon, one of Takuya's plans had gone rather badly."

"I remember," Koichi whispered, bowing his head sadly. "I attacked you guys and was about to kill Takuya, but-"

"But I got in the way to take the blow instead. I was badly injured and knocked unconscious," Koji finished. "Takuya blamed himself to the point where he disappeared after Duskmon scattered us with his dark mist. None of us knew where he was, but at the time it hadn't mattered because Renemon and Mercurymon had captured Tommy, Zoe and J.P., and I was on my own trying to come up with a plan to save them. After I engaged them, I was getting beaten pretty badly before Takuya reappeared. That was when we noticed that he had changed. He was stronger then before, and seemed to know what the weather was going to do."

"Taky had learned to become in tune with his spirits," J.P. nodded. "Not sure how or way, but he was."

"I remember you talking about that before Iramon attacked," Willace mused.

"You said that he was the most spiritually linked out of all of you," Michael stated.

"He still is," J.P. nodded. "Especially now that he really is part of his spirits."

"He told us that after our fight with Duskmon, he went home, but wasn't himself," Koji continued the story. "He had turned into Agunimon's Rookie form, Flamemon. None of us have ever gone back a DigiVolution. Maybe that was why he became so in tune with his spirits. Even if it had only been once, he'd become one of the Legendary Warrior's lowest forms, and synced with it on a level that none of us has ever reached."

They all returned their attention to the duel and saw Flamemon a little more clearly. His flaming red hair whirled wildly about his head like real fire. His darkly tanned skin was marked with black lined symbols on his arms and feet, and a strange white mark shone on the left side of his chest. His eyes were now a brilliant green, and his ears were pointed and bore a set of small golden hoop earrings. He wore brown hide shoulder pads, matching pants, fingerless gauntlets, ringed anklets, and a black cross-belt with a buckle emblazed with the Warrior's character for Fire. It wasn't until he turned his back on them that they noticed his tail; it was fluffy yet looked as if the same fire that made up his hair.

"How cute!" Suzie laughed.

"I don't think that is what he was going for," Henry chuckled, holding her close so that she couldn't go over to the railing again.

"It is a rather adorable form," Zoe giggled.

"I wouldn't underestimate him," Darkmon warned. "He might not look like much, but he's quite the menace."

The two combatants had reached the end of the rotation and looked up to Lord Suzakumon. Suzakumon rose from his seat and raised a hand in the air, palm out, and thrust a fireball that exploded in the sky over the center of the arena. It had to have been the 'go ahead' signal because in that instant the fight was on. Flamemon managed to turn back around to face Embermon before the dino Digimon was on him again. He managed to jump to the side to avoid the hit, but Embermon seemed to have been expecting that after their fight in the market. It worried the DigiDestined that Embermon looked more level headed and calculating with his movements.

"Embermon is in his element," Darkmon informed them. "This is his stage and where he proves himself to be a respectable fighter. There is no way he'd be a Royal Fighter if he wasn't."

Flamemon was on the defensive as Embermon threw punch after punch at the smaller Digimon. Flamemon seemed to have no trouble reading Embermon's movement until Embermon feigned a punch and managed a roundhouse kick to Flamemon's gut instead, sending the little guy flying halfway across the arena. Spectators gasped and yelled for Flamemon to get up.

"Sparking Slash!" Embermon cried as he swiped his claws at the downed Digimon, sparking slash marks flying from his claws. The original eight Adventurer DigiDestined thought it looked like a flashier version of WereGarurumon's Wolf Claw attack.

It appeared that the attack was a direct hit, but when the smoke settled there was no sign of Flamemon.

"What?" Embermon scoffed. "Reduced to Digital Bits already?"

"Not quiet," said a soft voice behind him as Flamemon suddenly reappeared, whipping around behind his shocked opponent.

"Flame Tail!" Flamemon exclaimed and his tail flared to life and turned molten golden just before knocking Embermon outside the head.

Flamemon retreated a couple of steps and took up a ready position.

"Little bastard," Embermon growled, rubbing the back of his head. "Playtime is over!"

"My thoughts exactly," Flamemon nodded grimly before he chucked a fireball at Embermon's face. "Baby Salamander!"

Even though Embermon easily sidestepped the attack, he found himself face to face with Agunimon. The armored warrior thrust a flaming fist into Embermon's cranium and sent him flying back across the arena.

"He Digivolved!" Takato and Davis exclaimed in unison.

"Go Takuya go!" Suzie, Ai and Mako cheered along with the Warrior DigiDestined.

"He's in trouble," Darkmon muttered, darkening the mood.

"What to you mean?" Rika asked. "He's winning now."

"Take a better look, Rika," Ryo said grimly. "He's loosing control."

It was true. Agunimon was shaking now, flames spurting from gaps in his armor like he had the first time Takuya had become Agunimon. The power was welling up inside of him, looking for an outlet, but not finding any. As Flamemon, the power levels had been minimal and easy to control, but Agunimon was much more powerful and had a greater capacity that exceeded his human half's limits. His body was now struggling to make up for the human half. The flames actually hurt Takuya and he felt like he was burning inside. Really burning. This was why he'd started the duel as Flamemon. He had thought that if he could warm up, then the backlash of power he got from Agunimon might be minimalized, but Embermon had proved to be a better opponent than expected and had forced his hand early. He knew it had been stupid to pin himself as a Rookie against the Ultimate, but it was something that he just had to try.

Embermon took advantage of Agunimon's laps in attention and knocked the Warrior off his feet. Through a haze of pain, Agunimon managed to roll out of the way as Embermon attempted to stomp him into the ground. He rolled onto his feet and stood on guard. Embermon had no idea what was going on with the Flame Warrior, but he didn't care. This was his chance to land a serious blow at close range.

"Sparking Slash!"

Agunimon managed to dodge the attack, but it grazed his side, scarring his armor. Inside Takuya was already loosing a different kind of battle. He hated that he couldn't control the power coursing through him. He needed to use it. And fast.

To everyone watching it had appeared that Agunimon had just frozen where he stood. Embermon charged into another attack but when he was almost on top of the Warrior, Agunimon opened his eyes and fire erupted around him in a chaotic tornado of flame, warding him off.

"Pyro Tornado!" Agunimon cried, sending Embermon flying back once more.

Then he suddenly launched himself into a rapid series of attacks, throwing one attack at Embermon after another.

"Pyro Darts!"

"Pyro Punch!"

"Pyro Darts!"

"Pyro Tornado!" he cried as he slammed his latest attack into Embermon's side, and pinned him against the western edge of the arena's wall. The setting sun cast dark and deadly shadows across the ruined battlements. Embermon lay limp in Agunimon's grasp, breathing heavily and burned in many places. Agunimon had a blazing fist raised, ready to finish the duel, but he did not land the final and surely fatal blow that would send his opponent, literally, into oblivion.

"What are you waiting for?" Embermon croaked. "Finish me."

Everyone was on the edge of their seats, waiting to see what Agunimon would do. The next minute felt like an eternity, but Agunimon suddenly lowered his fist.

"No," his voice rang out clearly in the silent space. "I refuse."

Embermon stared at him in disbelief.

"But it is the rule of the Juédòu!" he cried. "We fight until the death!"

"Just except your exile and leave," Agunimon stated, releasing Embermon from his pinned position and reverted back into Takuya. He kneeled next to the slumped Digimon and placed a gloved hand over one of his former opponent's most serious injuries. The hand began to glow a brilliant gold in the dying light. When he removed it, the wound was gone. He repeated this action a number of times before Embermon was completely healed.

"Why?" Embermon demanded. "Why did you heal me instead of finish me off?"

"Seemed like the right thing to do," Takuya shrugged.

"I'm fit enough to fight again," Embermon informed him. "I could attack you right now…"

"Then do it!" Takuya ordered, staring defiantly up at the now towering Digimon. "…You can't, can you?"

"A real fighter knows when he's been beaten," Embermon growled, but turned his head away. "He also cannot turn against those who have helped him. It is dishonorable. …Not that I'm one to talk after recent events."

"Perhaps," Takuya shrugged again. "I'm sorry that my rebirth as the Flame Warrior angered you, but it was no reason to throw your life away. We all have a life to live and a destiny to follow. Some paths are just hard to find until you stumble upon it. You're a good fighter. I heard from Gallantmon that you used to be a respected Royal Fighter until recently."

"You're not bad either… for a Halfling," Embermon sighed.

"You almost had me though," Takuya grinned. "I was having some power issues. I just kinda lost it for a moment. I had intended just to wear you down, but you were better than I thought. Sorry about the butt whooping."

Embermon frowned, making Takuya laugh. Takuya suddenly held out his hand to the fighter who stared at it suspiciously.

"Oh come on!" Takuya chuckled. "Can't bygones be bygones? The Digital World needs a fighter like you. You're a crucial part of the resistance against the Zaigou. You're needed to keep this city safe and free of their control."

"I haven't been too good of a job lately," Embermon sighed, pausing before allowing Takuya to shake his clawed hand. "But thank you for saying that. Maybe human Digimon hybrids aren't so bad after all. You certainly fight like a real Digimon, but you're sentimental like a human."

"Is that really a bad thing?" Takuya asked, cocking his head to the side.

"No," Embermon shook his head. "Not at all. I find that it might be something that most Digimon lack. It's that sentimentality that makes you better then the Zaigou."

"Whoa wait!" Takuya cried, holding up his hands. "You didn't like me because you thought that I was like the Zaigou?"

Embermon frowned.

"Why else would I be against you being the new Flame Warrior," Embermon asked him, his expression confused. "You were made just like the older abominable Zaigous. I've heard that one of them even used to be a human like you."

Up in the stands, Mai shifted uncomfortably in her seat, but both Koichi and T.K. placed a reassuring hand on her shoulders.

"Well that makes sense," Takuya laughed. "Good to know that it wasn't the usual jealousy motive."

"I may be a little vain, but I'm not petty," Embermon growled. "Every Royal Fighter and Knight has their pride, you know."

Suzakumon rose from his seat and quiet instantly descended upon the arena.

"In light of the current situation," the authoritive Digimon King's voice called out, "I hereby end this Juédòu and reinstate Ember as the Lead Fighter of the Royals."

Embermon's eyes widened and Takuya grinned.

"Congratulations," he said as he slapped Embermon on the back. "Looks like you won't be banished after all. Aren't you glad I didn't destroy you now?"

Embermon just stared at Takuya wordlessly before bowing to his King.

"Yes," he whispered so that only Takuya could hear. "Yes, I am."

* * *

Whoa. Sounds like Takuya's got to get a handle on that power of his. Can he do it? How will he get along with Embermon now? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

Again, sorry for the wait. I had trouble writing the fight itself and wasn't sure how i wanted it to end. I aparently took so long to post this chapter that one of you readers asked me if I'd died or something. XD

My friends and I joked about that for some time.

The focus is going to remain on Takuya for another chapter or two, but I am going to have the POV coming from someone else. I'm not saying who, but I got a good laugh out of it when I settled on the person I picked. Hopefully this next one won't take so long to write, yet I can only say that I will do my best to get it out asap. We'll see how my midterms go this week.

I have also been working on another fic during my writers block. So it wasn't that i wasn't writing, it was that i couldn't think of how to write this chapter so i started writing something else. I have a poll asking you weather or not I should post a preview that I've written. I'd appreciate it if you all went to my profile at take the poll. Thank you! ^_^


	30. Takuya's Woes

Here we are! The 30th chapter! Woot! XD I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I hope you all enjoy and please review!

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Chapter 30: Takuya's Woes

The Human World – Tamers: Location: Hypnos HQ

"I want Takuya's old channel checked!" Yamaki ordered. "I want confirmation that this boy is the real deal."

Riley and Shibumi got to work immediately and were quick to report their findings.

"Takuya's channel is back online!" Shibumi exclaimed. "It's really him!"

"It's even clearer than the others," Riley mused. "It's as if the other children are being broadcasted on standard television and he's on HD."

"It could have something to do with him being half Digimon now," Shibumi mused.

"That's possible," Yamaki nodded. "If he is half Digimon than his link to the network is more in tune with whatever is broadcasting the children's information to us. It worries me what this might imply for his future though."

"What do you mean sir?" Riley asked.

"Of course!" Shibumi sighed. "If he's part Digimon, it might affect whether or not he can go home."

"We'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it," Yamaki stated. "But for now, I doubt they will be returning any time soon. The parents down stairs are just relieved that none of their children have gotten hurt yet."

* * *

The Human World – Adventurers: Location: Gennai's Base

The parents of the Adventurer DigiDestined were just grateful to see that Tai was recovering well and that TK had rejoined the rest of the DigiDestined safe and sound. Not many of them were too thrilled about Mai joining them since she had been the one that had stabbed Tai. Yuko Kamiya nearly had a heart attack seeing Tai's channel fade in and out from clear to static snow. She wouldn't stop sobbing until his channel started broadcasting clearly again. The Kido family was very proud of their youngest son for all that he'd done so far to keep the others' injuries treated. Jim even vowed to stop hassling Joe when he made it back. Matt and TK's parents were proud of their youngest son, but they had been worried about how he had treated the Koichi kid in the beginning. Now they were beginning to have the same concerns about Matt getting along with Koji. No parent liked seeing his or her child behave badly towards another child. Cody's mother and grandfather had also been worried about Cody getting along with Koichi, but were glad to see them become friends. As parents who were already awear of the dangers that their children faced, they could only sympathize with the parents of the other children who were most likely finding out about their children's previous adventures now. The children didn't even know that their parents were watching so they heard stories that they had never been told before. Ken's parents were still rather shocked to hear that their son had once been considered an enemy and had committed horrible deeds that he still blamed himself for.

They had been trying to find a way to communicate with their children some how, mostly through Izzi's computer, but none of their attempts had worked yet even with Gennai's help. Very few of them were familiar enough with the technology at hand, so most of the parents sat down in a viewing room and kept record and reported on what happened to the children. Now that Takuya was back, they were making the same discovery as Yamaki and his tech group in the Tamer DigiDestined's home world. Gennai was relieved that the DigiDestined Warrior of Flame had been revived. He could only pray that the new form wouldn't interfere with the boy's return home, but his hopes for communication were raised. If they couldn't reach Izzi's computer, then maybe Takuya's higher senses could prove useful in finding a communication link. Gennai had been able to reach the deity Digimon from other worlds, so maybe he'd be able to use similar methods to reach Takuya…

* * *

The Human World – Frontier: Location: Ophanimon's Palace

The Kanbara's had been grieving Takuya's loss the entire time he had been dead, but now that they saw him revived, new tears were shed; tears of joy. None of them cared that he wasn't fully human at this point in time. He was alive and that was all that mattered. The other parents and the Digimon palace staff celebrated with them. Even Yutaka celebrated. He hadn't liked Takuya that much until he'd learned what the boy had done for Tommy. Now he was grateful to Takuya and relieved to see him alive.

Koji and Koichi's birth parents were getting along again after they'd learned what had happened. Tomoko and Satomi had even become good friends. The three parents had been greatly concerned about Koichi and how he was treated by some of the other children, but were very proud of Koji for standing up for his older twin brother. The other parents were glad to see the three of them getting along. The first couple days had been rocky ones since Koji's father and stepmother hadn't known about the twins' reunion like Tomoko had. Poor Satomi hadn't even known that Koji was a twin in the first place.

During Takuya's battle with Embermon the three angel Digimon, the palace's staff, and the parents had all sat at the edge of their seats in the throne room as they all watched Takuya fight, and the commentary coming from the other children. Shinya had been fidgeting in his seat and kept jumping to his feet every time Takuya took a hit. When Takuya finally won the fight they were all relieved, but the Kanbara's became even prouder when he spared Embermon's life. Now they watched, waiting to see what new trials awaited the thirty-one children…

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Netsusa Palace

Suzie Wong tugged against her brother's grip as everyone reentered the palace. Now that the fight was over, she wanted to see the Takuya boy, but Henry kept a firm hold on her hand.

"Hen-wee," Suzie whined. "I wanna go see!"

"See what?" Henry asked her absently.

"Takuya!" Suzie huffed.

"Don't we all," the Digimon boy with the orange hat laughed.

Suzie tried to remember his name, but it made her head hurt. She had trouble remembering a lot of people's names and decided to leave the remembering to her big brother, Terriermon and Lopmon.

"You'll see Young Master Takuya later Miss," the pretty lady with the golden wings and mask told her.

"Okay," Suzie sighed with a pout, allowing Henry to pull her along behind him. They were taken to a great big room with pretty ornaments and curtains hanging from the ceiling. There was a large table covered in food in the middle of the space and Suzie marveled at all the yummy looking goodies waiting for her. She ignored the big kids as they talked about things that made her head hurt, so it wasn't until she dug in to the food that Henry had placed before her that she realized that Takuya was missing from the table.

"Hen-wee," Suzie said as she poked her brother in the side with her fork. "Where is Takuya?"

"Weren't you listening?" Henry sighed. "He was worn out from his fight with Embermon and is resting. We'll see him tomorrow morning."

"He go night-night?" Suzie asked, pouting.

"Don't worry Suzie," Lopmon said in a soft voice. "I'm sure that he's alright. He's very strong."

"I know datt," Suzie whined. "I just wanna see him."

"Why's that?" Lopmon asked.

"Because he's my fwend," Suzie stated proudly.

"Oh?" Lopmon said, tilting her head to the side. "When did that happen? You hardly know him."

"Do too," Suzie protested. "Takuya also keeps the nightmares away."

"Huh?" Lopmon paused, wondering what her Tamer could be talking about.

After the meal, Henry turned Suzie over to Jeri in exchange for Mako. That way the boys slept with the boys and the girls slept with the girls. The first time they'd done this, back in Himizu City, Suzie had freaked out and cried herself to sleep. She hadn't handled her first night separation from Henry very well since he was the only one she really trusted in this world. She had gotten it into her head that Henry had taken Mako with him that night because he wanted a little brother instead of a little sister. The next morning Henry reassured her that it wasn't true. He told her to think of her nights with Ai and the other girls as sleepovers. She knew better now, so she hugged Henry and Terriermon goodnight before allowing Jeri to take her hand and lead her to their room with Ai and Lopmon. All the girls were sharing the giant guest suite that was lavished in brilliant gold, silver, and scarlet fabrics and ornaments. There were plenty of beds and it didn't take long for them all to fall asleep.

In the middle of the night, Suzie woke with a start. She hadn't had a bad dream though. In fact, it had been a rather nice dream. She had remembered something from what seemed like forever ago. It was the memory of the first time she'd spoken to Takuya…

* * *

Suzie's Memory – One and a Half Weeks ago

They were all finally together again and after a few more hours of walking in the maze of dark tunnels, it was decided that they should take a break from walking. Henry began talking with Takato and a few other boys, so Suzie took the chance to slip away from his side. She wandered about the now large group until she bumped into the back of somebody's legs and fell back onto her butt.

"Are you alright?" the person asked her.

Suzie had looked up to see a boy's smiling face. She stared at him as she nodded mutely. The boy chuckled and held out a hand towards her.

"Hello," he smiled. "I'm Takuya. You're Suzie, right?"

Again, she nodded without speaking. She couldn't figure out why, but she thought this boy was pretty. He didn't look any different from the other boys she'd met, but there was just something about Takuya that made her pay attention to him. It was while she was staring that she noticed that he was holding the front of his shirt tightly with his other hand.

"Are you hurt?" she asked him.

Takuya glanced down at his hand and quickly removed it from his chest.

"Is it your heart?" Suzie asked. "My daddy says that if your heart hurts you should take deep breaths. Like this!"

Suzie began to show Takuya how to take nice, deep, even (if not somewhat exaggerated) breathes. Takuya smiled and imitated her.

"You're right," he grinned. "It does help."

Suzie beamed. She liked Takuya. He was nice…

* * *

Present Time

Suzie slipped out of bed and tiptoed past Jeri to the door.

"Suzie?" a soft voice called out to her. "Where are you going?"

It was Lopmon. The Digimon partner quickly joined her Tamer at the now open door.

"I am going to see Takuya," Suzie said firmly before slipping out into the hallway and shutting the door. Lopmon managed slip out too without getting her ears shut in the door jam.

"But Suzie," Lopmon whispered. "You don't know where he is."

Suzie ignored her and took off down the hall with Lopmon trailing behind.

"I'll find him," Suzie stated stubbornly.

The two walked down the halls of the great palace without too much trouble, but they did have to hide from the occasional guard and had probably wandered around in circles a couple of times. They finally found a pair of doors that looked like they belonged to a grand room. Suzie believed that this was where she'd find Takuya. Lopmon was about to ask what made her think so, but Darkmon suddenly exited the room, confirming Suzie's theory. When the pretty Digimon lady was gone, Suzie took her chance and, with Lopmon's help, opened one of the doors.

The inside was surprisingly small, but it had rather high ceilings. There was only a large bed against the back wall of the room, a fireplace set into the left wall and a few articles of lounge furniture. It was the smallest room that Suzie or Lopmon had seen so far in this palace. Suzie slowly approached the bed and grinned when she spotted Takuya's sleeping form. In spite of Lopmon's protests, Suzie tiptoed further into the room and positioned herself near the head of the bed so that she could look upon the boy's sleeping face. He was even prettier asleep than he had been in her memory-dream. He looked so peaceful. She rested her elbows on the bed and her head in her hands as she watched him sleep. She stayed like that for a couple of minutes before she decided to lean in for a closer look. She was almost nose-to-nose with Takuya when he suddenly opened his eyes and gently blew in her face. She let out a squeal of surprise and fell back on her butt again. Takuya laughed as he sat up and reached out a hand for her to take, very much like he had the first time she'd met him.

"Sorry Suzie," he grinned. "I couldn't resist. From the moment you walked in the room I knew that you might try to get close, so I waited for you to do just that."

"You mean you knew we were here?" Lopmon asked as she took a seat next to the two humans on the bed.

"I knew where you were the moment you woke up and left your room," Takuya's grin grew wider. "I realized that you were headed my way so I sent Darkmon out to get me something to eat."

"How?" Suzie asked with awe.

"I have excellent hearing," Takuya answered, tapping his ear. "Your room is down three halls to the left, one to the right, and through the second door on the left. The boy's rooms are two more doors down that same hallway to the right. I listened to you all go to sleep. I also listened to you two wander, lost, around the halls."

Lopmon's jaw dropped open and Suzie squealed with excitement.

"Does that mean you can hear what Hen-wee is doing?" she asked.

Takuya cocked his head to the side and closed his eyes.

"He's still asleep, lying on his left side with his back to Takato," he answered, opening his eyes. "I can hear Guilmon snoring up a storm nearby so I can't hear him well enough to tell you what kind of dream he may be having."

"How do you know that that's Henry?" Lopmon asked.

"Everyone has a different voice," Takuya smiled. "I still remember you all from when I first met you, so I can recall what everyone's voice sounds like."

"Alright, but how do you know he's sleeping on his left side?" Lopmon asked.

"By the sound of his breathing," Takuya shrugged. "It's kinda hard for me to explain, because it's something that Agunimon knew about that I just happen to remember. It's simply instinctive for me now. I just know."

"That sounds very confusing," Suzie pouted, not liking the way the conversation had moved in a direction that she couldn't understand.

"It is," Takuya laughed, patting her on the head. "I don't even understand it myself half of the time."

Suzie smiled. She really did like Takuya. Suddenly, he lifted his head and looked at the door.

"Uh-oh," he smiled. "Darkmon is coming back with my snack. She'll be here in a few minutes and take you back to your room. Looks like-!"

Suzie suddenly clung to his arm, shaking her head viciously.

"You don't want to go back?" he asked her.

Again, she shook her head, holding onto him tighter. Takuya studied her for a moment before picking her up off the bed and setting her on the floor.

"Get under the bed!" he hissed, holding up the sheets that draped over the bed and spilled onto the floor. "And be very quiet."

Suzie grabbed Lopmon and dragged her with her as she crawled into the space. When she was underneath, Takuya let the sheets go, effectively hiding the little human girl and her Digimon from anyone that entered the room. A moment later Darkmon entered the room and set a tray on the side table next to Takuya's bed with at loud thump.

"Here you are," she said rather testily. Suzie recognized that tone. It was one her mother used when she was upset with her or Henry or their dad. "Anything else?"

"No," Suzie heard Takuya laugh. "Sorry to send you off on errands, but I've been ordered to keep to my room."

Darkmon let out a soft growl before turning on her heel to leave the room.

"I'll be just outside if you need me," the lady Digimon informed him, but Takuya stopped her.

"Why don't you get some rest yourself?" he suggested. "I'll be fine until morning."

"…Are you sure?" Darkmon asked in a suspicious voice.

"Yup," Takuya's voice replied brightly. "After I eat I'm just going to be meditating until breakfast anyways. I need to have an inner conversation with Agunimon about the fight with Embermon. Nothing's going to happen so you might as well get some rest."

"…Alright then" Darkmon finally sighed. "See you at breakfast."

"See ya."

Suzie and Lopmon heard the door shut, but they waited until Takuya lifted the sheets and ducked his head over the bed's edge to look at them from upside down.

"You can come out now," he grinned. "She's gone and headed for bed."

When Suzie and Lopmon were back out they climbed back onto the bed where Takuya was eating a sandwich. He handed them some crackers and cheese and the three of them ate in silence.

"So why'd you come visit me, Suzie?" Takuya asked as he downed a glass of some kind of juice.

"I wanted to see you," Suzie stated, as she gently began kicking her feet back and forth over the side of the bed. "You are my fwend and I missed you. I wanted to thank you for keeping away my bad dreams. When you were gone, I used to have really bad dreams, but you would come and chase them away."

Takuya stared at her silently, nodding.

"I remember," he whispered. "When I was in the spirit world, I heard you cry out for help in your sleep sometimes. I couldn't speak to you, but-!"

"You'd come to play with me!" Suzie smiled. "You chased the bad dreams away and played with me. I never told anyone."

"Why?" Takuya asked, puzzled. "I wouldn't have minded."

"Because they were special dreams," Suzie stated with a nod. "You're supposed to keep special dreams to yourself. My mommy told me that. She said that if you keep special dreams to yourself, they might come true."

Takuya smiled at her.

"Yeah," he whispered. "Your mom sounds smart.

"She is!" Suzie squealed with delight. "My mommy's the best!"

"Do you miss her?" Takuya asked before he could stop himself.

Suzie dropped her gaze from his face moved it to her swinging feet.

"Yeah," She sniffed. "I miss my mommy and daddy a lot… But I've got Hen-wee! My big brother keeps me safe and with him around I don't miss Mommy and Daddy so much. I also have Terriermon and Lopmon and Miss Jeri and you! I don't have to be afraid if I have everyone with me."

Takuya smiled again.

"You're a brave girl, Suzie," he said, patting her on the head.

Suzie suddenly let out a big yawn.

"Looks like it's bed time for you little missy," Takuya snickered. "Why don't you go back to the other girls."

"Don't want to," Suzie pouted. "I just got here. I want to play."

"You look really tired Suzie," Takuya sighed.

"Do not," she retorted as another yawn escaped her. "Wanna play."

"Suzie," Lopmon sighed.

"I wanna play," Suzie mumbled as she latched on to Takuya's arm again.

He smiled at her with an amused but sad look on his face.

"All right, Suzie," he sighed before getting up off the bed and untangled himself from her grasp.

"What we gonna do?" she asked him, sitting up a little straighter, giving him her absolute attention, sleepiness cast aside in her excitement.

"Did you know that fire really does dance?" Takuya asked her as he stood before the fireplace.

"What do you mean?" Suzie asked with her eyes fixed on him.

"Watch, but never do this yourself," he instructed as he placed his hand in the fire. "This is something only I can do."

Suzie gasped, expecting him to get burned but when he began to withdraw his hand it remained unburned. As he pulled the rest of his hand out of the fireplace, a trail of flame began to follow it, swiveling and gliding through the air like a snake until all of the fire in the fireplace was slithering through the air around Takuya.

"Listen," Takuya instructed. "Listen carefully and you'll hear the song of the fire. Listen to it and watch the fire dance."

Suzie's eyes were wide like saucers and Lopmon's mouth was gaping open. They both listened carefully, but neither of them could hear the music that Takuya spoke of.

"I can't hear it," Suzie whispered, pouting slightly. "No music."

With a wave of his hand, the fire vanished. Takuya kneeled before Suzie and placed his hands gently on her shoulders. He stared right into her eyes as he spoke.

"Don't try so hard," he told her. "Just watch the fire and you'll hear it. Empty your mind Suzie. Try not to think at all."

"I am trying," she pouted again, making him laugh. The sound of his laugh made her relax and smile too.

"Now watch and listen," Takuya instructed again.

With another wave of his hand, the fire was back, gliding and slithering through the air. Suzie watched in awe as it weaved itself around Takuya's arm but never burning him. Suddenly she could hear a soft combination of hissing, swishing and crackling. It sounded like noise at first, but then it began to flow together in a strange but beautiful string of music. She didn't know where it came from, but this had to be the music Takuya was talking about. She watched the fire as the music in her mind suddenly rose in intensity until it broke out into a fast stretch of trills and beats. The fire began to swirl around Takuya's entire body and he began to dance. Suzie knew that not many boys liked to dance, but not many boys were as graceful as Takuya was. If she had thought that Takuya looked pretty in sleep, than he was beautiful while dancing with the fire. She knew what she was seeing was special, so she remained quiet and listened to the strange music and watched Takuya dance with the fire. She didn't want the moment to end, but eventually the music slowed, the flames dimmed, and Takuya slowed his movements. As the dance came to it's close, Takuya tossed the flames back into the fireplace and the room was quiet and still once more.

"Wow," Suzie sighed. "That was really pretty."

"You said it," Lopmon breathed next to her.

Takuya laughed and rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't tell anybody about that," he told them. "The last thing I need is one of the guys making ballerina dancer jokes."

"I won't tell!" Suzie exclaimed, rising to her feet on the bed so that she was the same height he was. "I promise! It's a special memory!"

Takuya laughed softly, reaching up to place his hand on her head again. Suzie didn't usually like it when people did that because it made her feel like a child (which she was), but whenever Takuya did it, she didn't mind.

"Now you better go off to bed, or Jeri and your brother are going to miss you," Takuya told her.

"But I still wanna play," Suzie stated while she yawned. "Please?"

Takuya sighed and plopped down onto the bed in a way that the movement made her loose her balance and fall backwards next to him. He'd thought that the fire song and dance would lull her to sleep, but apparently it hadn't been as effective as he'd hoped.

"Takuya?" Suzie whispered, poking him on the cheek. "Takuuuya."

Takuya moaned before rolling over onto her so that she was now clutched against his chest. He began to tickle her and she found that she couldn't break free.

"Tired yet?" he asked her as she let out another round of giggles.

"N-n-no!" she laughed, trying to tickle him back. "L-Lopmon! H-help m-me!"

Lopmon did no such thing and watched Takuya tickle Suzie with amusement until the little girl was all tired out. Takuya laid her out on the right side of the bed as he reclined on the left. Lopmon hopped over so that she sat between them.

"Why don't you take her to her room?" Lopmon asked.

"Because I can't. I wasn't lying when I said that I was ordered to stay in this room," he replied. "Darkmon, I may go against just for the fun of it, but I don't dare go against Lord Suzakumon. He brought me back to life and, because he's Agunimon's father, that kinda make me his son too, if only partially…"

"Do you miss your family?" Lopmon asked.

"Of course I do," Takuya smiled sadly. "But I don't think I'll be able to go home."

"Why?" Suzie's voice mumbled.

"Because I'm not fully human anymore Suzie," Takuya sighed. "And even if I could, I don't think I'd be able to stand it. Remember how I told you how good my hearing was?"

Suzie nodded sleepily with a smile.

"Think of how noisy the city is," Takuya prodded.

Lopmon held her ears close to her head.

"It can be noisy," she agreed.

"Think of how loud that would be for me," Takuya sighed. "I'd go deaf. …If I survived the headaches. Even though it's quiet now it hurts…"

Takuya's hands slowly rose to his head and clutched it, his body shaking.

"I hear it all," he whispered. "The soft breaths and loud snores of our friends, the Digimon in this palace, the creaking old boards, and the mechanical clanks from the kitchen, furnaces, and armory. I hear them all as clearly as if I were right next to them. It doesn't stop with the palace either. I can hear the late night and early morning risers returning or heading out to work, the wind howling down the streets and past the buildings, the sound of the sands slithering across the dunes-! And that's just my hearing! There are also my other senses. Nothing would taste the same as I remember it, everything would feel different too, either too coarse or soft, and I'd see more than I'd want to. The sun's rays and all the colors would be too bright to my eyes, and everything would be too clear in detail...!"

Takuya started when he felt a hand on his cheek. He stared numbly at Suzie as she wiped the tears from his face. She looked sad too.

"It hurts?" Suzie whispered, moving her hand from his face to his chest, over his heart. Takuya took her hand in one of his and nodded.

"Yeah," he whispered as a new trail of tears made it's way down his face.

Suzie took her hand back and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Mommy told me that if someone is hurting than they need a hug," she spoke softly so that she wouldn't sound too loud to his sensitive ears.

Takuya hugged her back, a smile returning to his face.

"You're mom must be a really wise woman," he told her. "She raised you to be a very good girl. Thank you Suzie."

Suzie pulled back from the hug and kissed his forehead.

"All better?" she asked.

"All better," Takuya smiled as he watched her yawn. "Now go to sleep."

"'Kay," she mumbled, holding Lopmon close as she lay back down on the bed close to him.

When he woke up later that morning, Takuya would find her snuggled up against his side and a small hand wrapped around the sleeve of his nightshirt.

* * *

Aww~! Aren't little kids the cutest? How's Takuya going to handle his problem? Can Suzie actually help him? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

I really like this chapter. I'd always wondered what a Suzie centered chapter would be like and I just loved coming up with these Aww~! moments. She's very cute and fun to write. I can't wait to write the next one! I'm not sure who's POV the next chapter will be in. Maybe Henry or Jeri's. Look forward to it! ^_^ if you haven't participated in the poll on my profile, please do so! Please Review as well! I love reading what you guys have to say and any suggestions that you guys have for POV ideas.


	31. Markings

Spring break has started! Yay! hopefully I'll be putting out a few chapters, right? anyways, here's chapter 31! I couldn't stay in one POV so it ended up changing. So sorry, but this ended up being a Takuya centered chapter.

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 31: Markings

The Digital World: Location: Netsusa Palace

The girls' room was in a state of panic the next morning. Jeri had woken up feeling nice and refreshed after all those nights of sleeping on the floors of tunnels, but when she got up to get dressed she realized that Suzie's bed was empty. She began to look around the room for her, but couldn't spot the Suzie anywhere. She quickly rushed over to where Ai was sleeping to make sure that she was still there. By then, most of the other girls were waking up and quickly joined the search for the missing little girl.

"Henry is going to be so mad at me," Jeri cried when they had finished searching the entire guest suite and its adjoining rooms.

"It'll be alright Jeri," Sora said gently. "It looks like Lopmon is with her."

"Maybe she went to breakfast already," Ai suggested.

"Yeah," Sora smiled, humoring the child. "That's right. She could have gone on ahead to see her Henry. It's not like she doesn't know where the dining room is."

"Then lets go!" Ai cried, tugging on Jeri's hand.

The older girls reluctantly left after one more careful sweep of the rooms and joined the boys in the dinning room for breakfast. Ai made a beeline for Henry and Mako, but there was still no sign of Suzie. Henry saw Jeri's distressed look and quickly joined her and the other girls.

"What's wrong?" he asked. It was then that he noticed Suzie wasn't with them. "…Where is Suzie?"

"I'm so sorry Henry," Jeri started crying, attracting the attention of some of the other boys who were already sitting down to eat. Takato was at her side in an instant, followed by Tai, Matt, Izzi and Joe. Others like Ryo, T.K., Koichi and Koji drifted behind so that they could hear, but not actually be part of what was going on.

"Where is she?" Henry asked slowly, his face growing pale.

"We don't know," Sora answered for the distraught Jeri while Rika and Takato tried to comfort her. "When we woke up Suzie and Lopmon were gone. The bed was cold so she's been gone for a while."

Darkmon suddenly burst through the doors looking irritated and worried, leaving the them open in her haste.

"What's going on Darkmon?" Tai asked.

"Takuya is missing," she sighed in an irritated tone, but worry still managed to leak through. "I knew I should have stayed guard outside his door."

"Suzie is missing too," Tai informed her. "Have you seen her?"

"The little girl in pink?" Darkmon asked. "No, I haven't."

Henry was shaking, leaning on Matt and Joe for support. Now Darkmon and everyone else was gathered in a tight group, trying to reassure Henry and Jeri that Suzie would be fine in a chorus of indistinguishable voices.

"She's got Lopmon."

"Yeah, Lopmon wouldn't let anything happen to her!"

"She could be lost wandering the castle."

"Idiot! Don't tell them that!"

"What about Takuya? Isn't he missing too?"

"That's right! Maybe he found her!"

"Yeah! I bet that's what happened!"

Henry wasn't really listening to anything they were saying. He was too busy thinking of all the things that could have happened to his sister. What if she really _had_ gotten lost in the palace? What if she ran into a bad Digimon? What if she got separated from Lopmon? What if she was hurt somewhere and they wouldn't be able to find her?

"Suzie," Henry moaned, "Where are you?"

Jeri was going through her own guilt trip, thinking things along the lines of: It's all my fault! I should have kept a better eye on her. I knew that she didn't like being separated from her brother. I should have had her sleep closer to me so that I would have known when she woke up. What if we don't find her? It'll be all my fault! Henry will never forgive me! I don't think I'd be able to forgive me if I were in his position. What if I let the same thing happen with Ai and Mako? Oh my gosh! I'm the worst babysitter ever! What am I gonna do?

"Hen-wee!"

Henry's head snapped up and he spun to face the door that Darkmon had left open in her hasty entrance. Everyone had been so wrapped up in his or her attempts to comfort Henry and Jeri that they hadn't notice the two latecomers arrive. In the doorway, Suzie was sitting on Takuya's shoulders waving at them. Takuya himself looked a little tired, but he still wore that irrepressible smile of his while Lopmon hung from the crook of his left elbow.

"Uh oh," the revived warrior chuckled. "I told you they'd be worried Suzie. It seems we've caused a panic."

Takuya then effortlessly removed the excited and supposedly missing girl from his shoulders to set her on the floor. It was then that they all noticed that Suzie was wearing different clothes. Instead of shorts and a Chinese styled shirt, she was wearing a pink spaghetti strapped summer dress that had red and gold frills and ribbons on the neckline, straps, lining and trim. Her yellow tennis shoes were now yellow-gold sandals and her hair was held back with pink and golden ribbons and a yellow headband that looked like a tiara.

"Hen-wee!" she cried again, running to her anxious brother's side. "Look! Look at my pwetty dress! I am like a weal princess now!"

She did a little twirl to make the skirt of the dress rise before she hugged him.

"Suzie!" Henry gasped, holding her close. "Where have you been? I was so worried! You scared Jeri too!"

Suzie flinched at his harsh tone.

"I sorry," she sniffed.

Henry's expression quickly softened and her held her even closer. "Just don't do it again, alright?" he sighed. "We were really worried."

"Sorry," she said again before he released her so that she could go apologize to Jeri and the other girls.

"I'm sorry too," Takuya sighed as he joined them. "I had intended to return Suzie to her room before you all woke up, but she sidetracked me. She wanted to go exploring and then we ran into a Lillymon that dressed her up in those clothes."

"Thank you for taking care of her," Henry said meaningfully, extending a hand.

Takuya took it with an amused smile.

"I think it turned out to be the other way around," he laughed.

"Where did you find her?" Jeri asked as she finished giving Suzie a hug.

"_She_ found _me_," Takuya informed them. "She came to my room in the middle of the night right after Darkmon left to get me something to eat. She ended up falling asleep before I could send her back to her room so I just let her stay with me last night."

"She wasn't there when I returned with your food," Darkmon said with narrow eyes. "Is that why you dismissed me from guard duty last night? Where was she?"

"Ah…" Takuya laughed, with a look on his face that clearly said 'busted.' "She was hiding under the bed with Lopmon. For some reason she didn't want to leave and I knew that if you saw her you'd take her back whether she wanted to or not. I should have just let you take her so that this whole panic thing could have been avoided, but for some reason I let her hide and have her way. I knew that it was wrong of me to do so since it wasn't like I could take her back myself until this morning."

"Why's that?" Henry asked.

"I was ordered by Lord Suzakumon to remain in my room until dawn-! Which is what I did!" he immediately promised Darkmon. "I swear I didn't set foot outside that room until the sun was up. …I just happened to time it so that I left with Suzie before you could resume guard duty. …Sorry, Darkmon."

"What are we going to do with you?" Darkmon sighed shaking her head.

"Why didn't you want to leave?" Henry asked, looking at his sister.

"I couldn't leave," Suzie stated.

Takuya smiled. "Were you worried you'd get lost if you did?"

"No," Suzie shook her head. "I couldn't leave because you would have been lonely again."

Takuya hadn't been expecting that. His eyes grew wide with surprise.

Suzie looked up at him.

"You were lonely," she told him. "Everywon was sleeping together but you were all by yourself."

"Not really. I had Darkmon," Takuya protested with a small smile.

"But she stays _outside_ your door!" Suzie protested. "Datt made you lonely. You were also hurting. I know you were. You told me so."

Takuya blinked before crouching down so that he was eye to eye with her.

"But that was just a headache" he told her.

"No!" she protested, stamping her foot in frustration. "You weren't hurting here," she said pointing to his forehead, "you were hurting here," she said softly, touching his chest where his heart was. "You told me in my dream. Datt's why I came to see you last night."

"He told you in a dream?" Henry asked skeptically.

"Yeah!" Suzie nodded. "I dreamed about da first time Takuya talked to me. He was holding his shirt like his heart was hurting."

"I remember," Takuya smiled. "That was back when I had the lung cancer, but hadn't told anyone about it. You told me to take deep breathes."

"Uh huh!" Suzie nodded. "Daddy taught me datt. Also, Hen-wee and his sensei say datt it helps you to relax!" Her smile suddenly dropped a few degrees. "…You miss your brother."

Takuya stiffened.

Suzie looked him straight in the eyes, which were surprisingly sharp for a girl her age.

"You tink datt you can't go home and see your family and datt makes you sadder and lonelier," she stated, trembling. "Why are you so lonely Takuya? We are all here! We are all fwends right? So don't be sad or lonely anymore!"

Suzie suddenly wrapped her arms around Takuya's neck in a hug with such force that he nearly fell back onto his rear.

"You smile all da time, Takuya," she sobbed. "But you are always hurting inside. Why do you hurt? What makes you so sad? Why won't you tell anywon datt you're hurting? If you told somewon then you wouldn't be lonely anymore. I will listen! I sure Hen-wee and Lopmon and Terriermon will listen too! So please don't be lonely anymore! I sure that we will all go home! You too! You will see your brother and mommy and daddy again just like Hen-wee and I will see our mommy and daddy and our big sister and big brother again. O-tay?"

Takuya remained still in Suzie's embrace and all was quiet for a moment until Takuya slowly returned the hug.

"Thank you Suzie," he whispered. "You're a really good girl. You know that, right?"

Suzie's only reply was tightening her hug. Takuya gently pulled her back from him so that she could see his face. He was smiling a genuine smile and that made her smiled back. Takuya rose of his crouch and looked at Henry.

"You're sister is a very special girl," he told him. "A very perceptive one as well. I'd take good care of her if I were you."

"I know it," Henry smiled as he picked up Suzie and set her on his hip.

Takuya smiled back but he suddenly stiffened and the smile was gone.

"Takuya?" Henry frowned. "What's wrong?"

Takuya's body started to tremble, his eyes widening into a blank stare. His hands slowly rose up and clutched at his skull.

"No," Darkmon whispered. "Everyone get back!"

No one needed any other encouragement and moved back to the other side of the table. Takuya's body was now shaking terribly and his eyes were wide and quivering in their sockets.

"What's happening to him?" Koji demanded.

"He's having a sensory attack," Darkmon informed them.

"His head hurts," Suzie cried, burying her head into Henry's chest. Seeing Takuya like this was scaring her. Jeri was quick to turn Ai and Mako's heads away so that they couldn't see either.

Two things suddenly happened at once. Izzi's computer and something in Takato's pack beeped in unison, and Takuya suddenly let out a loud piercing scream of pain, falling to his knees into a fetal position while still clutching his head. Izzi snapped open his laptop and couldn't believe his eyes. On his screen he could see Gennai. Behind the digital man were his and everyone else's families.

"Gennai?" Izzi gasped, attracting his friend's attention.

"Iz…zi!" Gennai's voice buzzed over the staticy speakers. "I…eem…oo…av… otten…through."

Takato had finally found the source of the beeping noise in his pack.

"I don't believe it!" he cried, glancing nervously at Takuya as the boy continued to cower on the floor screaming and clutching his head. "I still have Yamaki's communication device!"

"What?" his Tamer friends exclaimed.

"You mean you never gave it back to him?" Rika let out an incredulous laugh.

"Communications device?" Izzi repeated, looking up from his laptop to the device and then to Takuya.

"You… done i- …Gennai!" a few voices from the laptop cheered as the signal grew clearer.

"Let me …ee if I ca…n't …oost the sig…nal," Gennai muttered.

Takuya then let out another ear-splitting scream.

"Communications…" Izzi was still muttering as a light bulb suddenly flashed in his mind. "That's it! Hurry! Turn that device off!"

"What?" Everyone exclaimed, flinching as Takuya let out another painful cry.

"Gennai, I'm sorry but you have to terminate the connection! It's hurting Takuya!" Izzi cried as he typed furiously on his laptop.

Hearing that, Takato quickly powered down the device, surprised that it had turned itself on, let alone had any battery power left in the first place. When Izzi finally shut down his computer Takuya stopped screaming and lay sprawled out, twitching and panting on the floor while still clutching his head. Suzie quickly wiggled out of Henry's arms and rushed to Takuya's side.

"Hen-wee!" she cried. "Takuya is hurt weal bad!"

Joe was suddenly there as everyone tried not to crowd around too much. Henry picked Suzie up again so that their appointed physician could do his job.

"Tai," Joe called from over his shoulder. "Help me get Takuya onto his back."

Tai moved away from the crowd to help, but the moment he touched Takuya's shoulder with his right hand something strange happened to him. The character burned into the back of his hand began to glow an angry fiery red, his eyes glazed over, and he became still.

"Tai?" Kari cried as she rushed to her brother's side, but he did not respond.

"Look at Takuya," Joe suddenly gasped.

Takuya's eyes had reopened and were glazed over as well. Instead of their usual brown or even the occasional blue, his eyes were red. Markings started appearing on his face and slowly began to travel down his neck and spread to his arms. Joe was sure that if the boy hadn't been wearing any clothes, they'd be able to see the markings progress down his entire body to his feet. Kari suddenly screamed and everyone looked back at Tai.

"The markings are traveling up Tai's arm now," Izzi stated the obvious.

From the right hand that Tai had started to use in order to flip Takuya over, the markings seemed to be transferring themselves to Tai. They all watched with a growing sense of horror as the markings finished their way up Tai's arm and spread across his neck and most likely his chest since they started to travel down his other arm. When the markings had finished covering both Tai and Takuya, they started to glow. Everyone inched back a bit, afraid that they might be affected too.

"What's going on?" Henry asked, holding Suzie tight.

Suddenly the markings flared brightly in a crimson light, blinding them all.

"I know what this is!" T.K. and Koichi suddenly cried when the light died.

Everyone turned to look at the two boys.

"What?" Izzi asked them. "Are you telling me that you know what's just happened?"

"It was a power transfer," T.K. breathed, staring amazed at the two leaders. "That's exactly what happened when I gave my power to Koichi so that he could become Golden Löwemon."

"Only this was the other way around!" Koichi gasped. "It wasn't Tai giving the power… he was receiving it!"

"Wow," he and T.K. sighed at this new revelation.

T.K. felt the need to take off his head and began to rub the back of his neck.

"Whoa!" they heard Davis cry from behind them.

"What is it?" they asked.

"T.K!" Davis gaped. "You've got a marking on the back of your neck like the one that Tai's got on the back of his hand!"

Matt instantly rushed to his brother's side and moved aside the blonde hair. Koichi came around to look at it too, making T.K. feel very self-conscious.

"That's my mark," Koichi whispered. "My Warrior's mark of Darkness… But how did it get there?"

Koichi suddenly jumped when he felt a hand lift up the hair covering the back of his own neck. He knew that it was Koji, but before he could ask his brother what he was doing, Koji spoke.

"There is a marking on the back of your neck too," Koji informed him.

Matt and T.K. immediately came around to look.

"That's my Crest of Hope!" T.K. exclaimed.

"What the hell is going on here?" Matt sighed, puzzled.

Suddenly the same thought clicked in all of their minds and the four of them rushed back around the table and over to Tai and Takuya's side. The two of them were still frozen with glazed eyes, but the markings, other than the one on the back of Tai's right hand, were now gone. Matt got there first so he was the one who got to remove the glove on Takuya's right hand.

"Thought so," the older blonde sighed to the others.

There, on the back of Takuya's now bare hand, blazed the sunny symbol of Tai's Crest of Courage.

"This is just too weird," T.K. muttered, rubbing the back of his neck until he remembered that he now had a marking of his own there and was quick to place his hat back on his head.

Tai suddenly stirred and began to blink away the daze. Takuya also started to blink as the red in his eyes faded back to brown. The four boys backed away in time before Takuya suddenly gasped and flipped onto his back, grasping Tai's extended right hand with his own. Tai was jolted the rest of the way out of his daze and noticed his crest emblazed on Takuya's hand. A curious expression flashed across his face, but he immediately returned his attention to Takuya who was now gasping as if he'd just sprinted ten miles. Joe reproached them and knelt by the boys' sides while everyone else tentatively gathered around once more.

"You… saw?" Takuya gasped, looking only at Tai.

Tai was silent for a moment before he slowly nodded.

"Are you in any pain?" Tai asked softly for Joe, who had begun to measure Takuya's pulse, but the boy hadn't even noticed the presence of anyone else except for Tai. He too remained silent for a moment before answering.

"No," he said, sounding surprised, his eyes widening. "I feel a little tired, but beyond that..."

Takuya suddenly froze again, his eyes widening more.

"The voices have stopped," he whispered.

"Izzi turned off his laptop," Tai tried to explain. "We were getting a signal from our home world, but it was hurting you so we – terminated?" got a nod from Izzi "– terminated the signal."

"No," Takuya breathed, a smile breaking out over his face. "The voices of Netsusa's citizens that I've been hearing ever since I was reborn. They have stopped echoing inside my head." He closed his eyes and was silent again for another moment. When he reopened them his grin grew wider. "They are still there when I want to hear them, but I can block them out now. Ha!"

"No more headaches?" a soft voice asked him.

For the first time since having his episode, Takuya noticed someone other than Tai.

"No more headaches, Suzie," Takuya grinned.

"So that energy transfer that we saw was meant to disperse the excess energy that Takuya's new body couldn't handle," Izzi mused.

"Energy transfer?" Tai repeated, confused. "What energy transfer?"

"You really didn't sense it?" Izzi exclaimed. "That looked like it was an awful large amount of energy that Takuya just transferred to you Tai. You really didn't feel anything?"

Izzi then explained to the two what had happened after Tai had touched Takuya. Tai was feeling a little weirded out after hearing that they'd been covered by some strange markings, but Takuya didn't seem fazed.

"I honestly didn't feel anything," Tai sighed when the explanation was over. "I was too busy seeing what Takuya had seen during his sensory attack when Gennai's signal came through."

"So many voices," Takuya shivered. "Many worlds have been watching what's going on. Gives me a killer headache just thinking about it."

"What?" the entire room exploded.

"That's why Takuya was in so much pain," Tai explained. "When Gennai tried to contact us he opened some sort of digital gate that exploded into Takuya's mind. He saw not only our world, Izzi, but everyone else's as well. There are many other human and digital worlds watching us too, waiting to see if we can stop this evil so that their worlds won't suffer the same fate. Everyone at home is watching us on TV! They know everything that's happened to us. All of our parents, including Michael's and Willace's, are with Gennai, Takato and his friend's families are in some kind of government building watching, and-!"

"Our families are at Lady Ophanimon's palace," Takuya finished, looking up at his friends.

"What I can't understand," Tai continued, looking at Takuya, "is why my mind wasn't affected when I saw all of it."

"That's because you aren't half Digimon," Takuya smiled sadly. "My senses were painfully acute before the energy transfer. It's like having the volume on the TV-set set to max and the control button is broken so that I can't turn it down. Because you're completely human you're volume is set at a normal range."

Tai nodded.

Takuya looked down at his ungloved hand and inspected his new mark.

"So this is the Crest of Courage," he mused. "I supposed that it was only a matter of time before it was branded on me. Wasn't exactly fair of me to have Agunimon brand you before hand, Tai, but if he hadn't, you wouldn't have been able to use the fire orb."

"What does that mean exactly?" T.K. asked. "To be branded."

"You and Koichi have one too," Takuya stated without looking up. "It means that the ones branded with the other's mark now share a special link and bond. It's a little unusual that the two of you because a bonding usually results when two people that have something in common find themselves in a desperate or grave situation. For example, Tai and I were most likely bonded because we share a lot of the same personality traits. We're also both the leaders of our team of DigiDestined and his Digimon is a descendant of AncientGreymon, just like Agunimon is. The bonding between us occurred because I was in a state of shock after a sensory attack. As for any bondings that may occur in the future, I don't know if it'll only happen to those of us who hold Warrior's spirits, or if we'll all find ourselves bonded to someone here, but it certainly makes things interesting."

"Fascinating," Izzi mused. "Going by that logic, then Matt and Koji are highly likely candidates."

"Why's that?" Matt said warily.

Koji frowned and raised an eyebrow.

"For the same reasons Tai and Takuya were bonded," Izzi reasoned. "The two of you have a lot in common. Not to mention that both Gabumon and Koji's Light Spirits are both descendants of AncientGarurumon according to my newly updated Digimon Analyzer database."

Matt tried to hide his discomfort at the idea of sharing any kind of bond or link with Koji, but he felt like he was failing miserably at the task. Luckily no one really noticed except perhaps Koji himself and that made Matt feel even worse.

* * *

Wow. Things just keep getting more complex, don't they? Does this mean that Takuya's sensory problems are over? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

A lot of you were wondering why Tai had Takuya's Warrior of Flame character on the back of his hand? If you have any questions about what's happened in this chapter please feel free to ask. Sorry if this chapter jumps around. it ended up being one of those chapters where there is no clear POV. i had intended on having it a Henry/Jeri alternating POV, but that fell apart the moment I had another short Takuya/Suzie moment. I couldn't resist it!

After the results of the poll I've posted a preview chapter to another story that I'm working on. It's called Drowning Memories and it is a 02X04 crossover. I'd appreciate it if you guys read it and let me know what you think. I'm getting ready to start writing this full time, but I won't be updating it as quickly as this fan fic (this story is my priority).


	32. Troubles of the Heart

Well here's chapter 32! I did get this one out a little faster than I have been so woo hoo to that! It's also a little longer than usual! I hope you enjoy this one so please read and review!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 32: Troubles of the Heart

The Digital World: Location: Netsusa Palace

After an eventful morning and breakfast, Takuya and Darkmon had preceded to give the DigiDestined a tour of the palace. Things had lightened up considerable during that time and the DigiDestined had spent their first truly carefree afternoon in the Digital World. While the other girls were in a lounge room chatting happily away, Zoe was now helping Jeri put Ai and Suzie to bed. Both of the little girls were now dressed in 'princess' garb courtesy of Netsusa palace's seamstress, Lillymon. Now that the sun had set and the little ones were in bed, Zoe couldn't help but feel concerned about what had happened that morning. During Takuya's sensory attack, she had been terrified. She couldn't stand seeing Takuya in so much pain. And then to see him covered in those strange markings had scared her even more. She wanted to believe with all her heart that the energy transfer with Tai had helped him.

"Thank you Zoe," she heard Jeri say.

"Huh? Oh, no problem," Zoe started with a smile.

Jeri watched her for a moment before speaking again.

"Why don't you go ahead and join the others?" the cheerful girl suggested. "I'll finish up here."

Zoe nodded and joined the other girls in the lounge, but she didn't find any of their current conversations engaging. She slipped out into the hallway and wandered. She heard the voices of the boys as she passed by their rooms, but she continued wandering. She didn't know how long she walked down the many hallways. A few minutes? A half hour? An hour? A couple hours? But at one point in her walk, she heard raised voices. Two voices that she knew very well. She inched over to the corner of a hallway so that she could hear better. She was tempted to peek, but didn't dare out of fear of being discovered.

"…Then why won't you just join us?"

"I can't Koji. I'm under orders."

"Since when Takuya?"

"Since I was brought back to life, idiot. You don't strike the hand that revives you."

"That doesn't stop you from disobeying Darkmon."

"She didn't revive me. Lord Suzakumon did."

"Would it really kill you to join us for one night?"

"Maybe."

"Not funny Takuya."

Takuya laughed.

"I'm warning you-!"

"What?"

Koji sighed.

"…What?"

"You always do this," Koji muttered in a voice so low that Zoe had to strain her ears to hear.

"Do what?"

"Shut me out," Koji snapped. "We're best friends Takuya, so why won't you tell me what's going on? Suzie was right! You wear that moronic smile of yours so I never never tell when you're hurting! I've known you for six months and who knows how much longer when you add in all of our time together in the Digital World! It's not just me either! You do the same to the others. They just don't notice because they don't know you as well as I do! We were pretty messed up after you died you know! I would have thought that you'd trust us as much as we trust you. Especially after all that's happened."

"Wait a minute," Takuya spluttered. "Who said I don't trust you guys? I'd trust you all with my life! In fact I _did_ trust you with it, Koji. Remember?"

"Then why won't you tell me why you can't join us tonight?" Koji demanded.

"I told you! Lord Suzakumon told me-!"

"-Not to leave your room, I know!" Koji sighed exasperated. "But _why_ did he tell you that? _That's_ what I want to know!"

Takuya's voice became silent.

"…Please," Koji's voice gasped. "If not for your sake, then answer for my own sanity… Why won't you tell me what's going on?"

Zoe froze where she was hiding. Was Koji crying? She really wanted to peek now, but once again resisted the urge.

"Because… I didn't want you to over react," Takuya sighed, obviously unable to stand seeing his best friend so upset. "You have a tendency to do that you know."

Zoe could hear the smile in his voice and visualized him resting a hand on Koji's shoulder. It was an uncommon occurrence since Koji was usually the collected cool one and hardly ever cried, but Zoe had witnessed it once when he'd had his first fight with Koichi. Takuya had been the one to comfort him then too.

"I can't leave my room because… I'm unstable during the night," Takuya sighed. "There are wards hidden in my room that keep my powers in check and suppressed."

Zoe froze again.

"What do you mean you're unstable?" Koji demanded.

"Think Koji," Takuya sighed. Zoe could practically see him rolling his eyes. "I'm the Warrior of _Flame_. My powers derive from the _sun_. The night brings out the _moon_. That's more of your thing, wolf boy."

"Wouldn't that mean your powers decrease?" Koji asked, puzzled.

"You'd think so," Takuya sighed, sounding annoyed. "Apparently, according to Lord Suzakumon, the sun actually helps me reign in my power. If I begin to loose control, I can tap into the sun's power, get a grip on myself and calm down enough to regain control. At night, when the moon is out, there is no raw energy source for me to tap into. …Didn't anyone tell you guys what happened the second night I was revived?"

"Yes," Koji said. "Suzakumon told us that you were able to Digivolve into Aldemon, but that you only retain that form for a few minutes, because..."

Zoe listened attentively from around the corner, but Koji never finish his sentence.

"…Because if I hadn't powered down I could have destroyed everything within a two mile radius," Takuya finished. "And Darkmon was being nice when she said that. Koji, I could have self destructed with the force of a _nuclear bomb_."

It was incredibly silent after that until Koji finally recovered his nerve.

"But that was when you were Digivolving," Koji protested. "Surely in your human-!"

"I have no _human_ form Koji," Takuya cut him off. He sounded so sad. "I'll always be half Digimon no matter what form I take. And as an unstable Halfling I'll always be a danger to you all until I can get a handle on my new form and power. Why do you think Darkmon is standing guard over there while I remain in the doorway of my room and not out there with you in the hall? And even standing so close to the edge of the room's barriers is risky for me to do. I shouldn't be out here."

"Takuya wait!" Koji cried and Zoe could hear the soft creak of a door slowly shutting.

"Leave him," Darkmon's voice suddenly ordered. "…He needs rest. You can see him in the morning."

"…I'm sorry Koji," Zoe heard Takuya apologize as the sound of doors firmly shutting echoed around the tall ceilings of the halls.

It was quiet for a moment before she heard the shuffling of feet headed in her direction. Zoe didn't know why, but she didn't want Koji to see her so she slipped inside the closest room and kept the door ajar and watched Koji pass by. She didn't know what she'd been expecting, but it was certainly not the collected and composed Koji that she was used to seeing. Not after the conversation she'd just overheard.

Once he was gone and she could no longer hear his footsteps, Zoe slipped out of the room and returned to the corner she'd hidden behind. This time she did chance a peek and found that Darkmon remained diligent at her post before a pair of towering doors. She wanted to speak with Takuya so badly after what she'd just overheard and now Suzie's small voice from this morning began to echo in her ears.

"_Why are you so lonely Takuya? We are all here! We are all fwends right? So don't be sad or lonely anymore! You smile all da time, Takuya. But you are always hurting inside. Why do you hurt? What makes you so sad? Why won't you tell anywon datt you're hurting?_"

She couldn't take it anymore. She'd spent the better part of the last week and a half grieving Takuya's death and now here he was, alive again, but was sealing himself off from them all. She needed to see him. With that thought in mind, she steeled herself and emerged from around the corner. Darkmon looked up at the sound of her approach.

"Miss Zoe," she nodded. "Can I help you?"

"I wish to see him," Zoe said, glad that her voice did not shake or waver.

Darkmon studied her for a moment before she nodded and stepped aside. Zoe had to suppress her surprise. She hadn't expected it to be that easy to see Takuya after Koji, his best friend, had been turned away. She took another steadying breath before opening one of the doors. Like Suzie and Lopmon the night before, Zoe was surprised to find the inner room so small. She was so busy looking around that she didn't see Takuya at first.

"Hello Zoe," she heard his voice call out to her. "I was wondering when you'd come out to see me."

She quickly faced the bed where she saw Takuya sitting cross-legged, his back against the headboard with his eyes closed. It looked as if he were meditating.

"You knew I was there listening?" Zoe asked when it finally dawned on her what he'd just said. As she approached him she saw Takuya's lips twitch into a smile.

"High powered senses, remember?" he stated, eyes still closed.

"What are you doing?" she asked, looking him over as she sat on the edge of the bed.

"What's it look like I'm doing?" he scoffed lightly.

Zoe frowned.

"You don't have to be rude," she chided. "I've been worried about you, you know! When you had that attack…"

She couldn't continue the thought because he'd taken her hand and squeezed it gently, all while remaining where he was seated with his eyes closed.

"You worry too much, Zo," he smiled.

She felt the usual anger well up inside of her and she relished in it. Only Takuya could make her feel this way. She'd missed it.

"You don't want me to worry?" she growled, slapping his hand away and climbed up onto the bed on all fours, planting herself right in front of Takuya to stare him down. It would have been effective if he'd had his eyes open. "You just got done explaining to Koji what a dangerous risk you are at night and that if your powers get out of control you could self destruct with the force of a nuclear bomb! And then there was that incident this morning! Do you know how terrified I was? I watched you scream and writhe on the floor in pain while having a sensory attack and _YOU_ _DON'T WANT ME TO WORRY?_"

She was panting from her little rant and by the end of it she realized that she was crying.

"You're an idiot Takuya," she sobbed, finally getting him to open his eyes.

She glared at him, but he didn't back down or shrink away from her gaze like he usually did. Instead he looked right back at her with sad eyes.

"I know I am, Zoe," he whispered. "I'm sorry. A lot of crazy things have been happening, but we all have to accept what has happened and move on."

Zoe sighed and stared down at her hands and the bed sheets below her.

"When you died," she said silently, "I was so sad… and angry. Angry at Koji for trying to kill you – even if you told him to – Lucemon for causing you so much pain, Aiyokumon for finishing you off, and myself… I was angry at myself because I never told you… something important. Something that I should have told you a long time ago, when we made it back to the real world six months ago."

"Zoe," Takuya whispered.

The way he said her name sent shivers down her spine and made her heart pound in her chest. She looked up at Takuya, trying to suppress the blush that he could probably see anyways.

"I love you," she whispered, tears now streaming down her face. "I have for a long time."

Takuya blinked slowly, saying nothing. He appeared to be frozen where he sat, stunned. Zoe realized that she would have to make the first move.

"_Typical_," she thought with a smile. "_That is so Takuya_."

She leaned in slowly and gently brushed her lips against his. They were warm and surprisingly soft. She hadn't been expecting his lips to be so soft. Takuya gasped slightly, as if shocked out of a daze, but he kissed her back and that small action alone made Zoe's heart sing. She reached up and ran her hand through his bushy brown hair. She felt one of Takuya's hands cup her face then move to hold the back of her neck while the other pulled her closer to him. She did not protest, kissing him with more force and he retaliated, treating it like a competition to see which one of them was the better kisser. She wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers through his hair. He retained the hold he had at the back of her neck, but his other arm now wrapped itself around her waist, holding her closer to him than she'd ever been in all the time she'd known him. They would part for breath, but soon dive back in for another kiss. Zoe didn't realize it, and Takuya – despite his acute senses – probably hadn't noticed it either, but he had her pinned down on the bed.

When they finally did stop, they started at each other for a long time before Takuya let out a sigh and plopped down next to her on his side. She automatically snuggled against his chest and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. They remained like that for a moment before Zoe became worried. Takuya had been silent for far too long.

"What's wrong?" she whispered in his ear.

"I remembered," Takuya groaned, but his lips kept twitching into a smile.

"Remembered what?" Zoe asked puzzled.

"Don't you remember what Tai said that he saw this morning while I was transferring energy into him?" he asked.

Zoe thought for a moment and then gasped, suddenly going bright red in the face and punched him in the side, but he barely flinched.

"Many worlds just watched our little make out session," Takuya chuckled, earning him another, harder, punch in the side. "Hey! You started it!"

"Our parents could have been watching!" she wailed, burying her face in the crook of his neck, as he lay flat on his back.

"No could about it," Takuya sighed as she pounded on his chest, but there was no force behind her fist. She groaned, cursing her hormones, but she did not regret kissing Takuya. She'd enjoyed it and, if given the opportunity to do it again even with the knowledge that her parents might be watching, she'd do it anyways.

"You know what," she finally sighed, propping herself up on his chest so that she could look down into his face.

"Hmm?" he hummed, brushing a strand of blonde hair out of her face.

"Let them watch," she grinned before capturing his lips in another kiss, but he ended it far too soon for her liking.

"Now before we get too into the moment, let me tell you something that _I've_ been wanting to tell you since the moment I saw you again," Takuya whispered against her skin, making her shiver. "I love you."

Zoe's heart swelled with happiness and she wrapped her arms around his neck, lying herself on top of him. She didn't care if their parents were watching. They were worlds away and all that mattered to her in that moment was that Takuya was alive, that he loved her back, and in this moment he was hers and hers alone. She kissed him passionately and was thrilled to feel that passion returned. Takuya held her close, ran his fingers through her hair, and continued to take her breath away with every kiss.

The next morning Zoe found herself curled into Takuya's chest with his arms wrapped possessively around her. He was still asleep, but she knew that he would wake up if she moved too much so she remained where she was and enjoyed the warmth she felt while being in his arms. There was no other place in any world that she'd rather be in then where she currently was in that moment. She did blush when it hit her that she had just spent the night with Takuya and that the two of them had technically slept together. She knew that they hadn't done anything other than kiss, but her stupid hormonal imagination went into overdrive, causing her blush to intensify. It got to the point where she had to bury her face in his chest to escape the perverted thoughts, which was a mistake. She didn't feel Takuya move, but she somehow knew that he was awake now. It was silent for a moment before she heard him mutter, "Good morning."

"Morning," she mumbled.

His arms held her tightly for a moment before he withdrew them and carefully sat up. Zoe pouted about the sudden loss of his comfortingly warm embrace. He laughed softly, running a hand through her hair.

"I don't think your parents are going to like me," he stated teasingly.

"Why's that?" Zoe frowned, sitting up next to him.

Takuya gave her a meaningful look, making her blush.

"Never mind," she mumbled, looking away.

He chuckled softly before gently pulling her face back to look at his so that he could give her a morning kiss. Just after they parted, Darkmon entered the room, making Zoe blush crimson and turn away from the Digimon guard.

"Takuya," Darkmon nodded. "I presume you slept well? You gave no sign of nightmares."

"I slept quite well thanks," Takuya smiled. "Perhaps you can escort Zoe to Lillymon's chambers? I'm sure she'd appreciate a new change of clothes. Right Zo?"

Zoe nodded mutely as she slipped out of the bed to join Darkmon by the door. Darkmon gave her a curt bow before stepping back out into the hall. Zoe was about to follow her, but she felt a hand on her shoulder. She jumped and when she turned around she found herself face to face with Takuya.

"I'll see you at breakfast," Takuya smiled, kissing her forehead. "Now you better go. Darkmon isn't the kind of Digimon who likes to wait."

Zoe nodded, giving him a kiss on the cheek in return before running after Darkmon. The Digimon guard remained silent only speaking whenever Zoe asked about an artifact or painting hanging on the wall. When they finally reached Lillymon's dressing rooms, Darkmon bowed and turned to leave, but Zoe stopped her.

"Darkmon?"

"What is it?" the golden winged Digimon inquired.

"…Back when you were speaking to Takuya, you asked him if he'd had any nightmares… Why would you ask him that?"

"Young Takuya has been plagued with bad dreams and hasn't been able to sleep peacefully mostly because of his acute senses," Darkmon explained. "Last night when I kept watch, I hardly heard him stir. Your presence must have been particularly calming to him because it was rather quiet last night."

Zoe blushed slightly, realizing that Darkmon had been outside Takuya's room all night long, but it appeared that she hadn't heard much, which was a huge relief.

"If that is all, I'll see you at breakfast, Miss Zoe," Darkmon bowed before heading back down the hall to resume her guard position outside Takuya's room.

With a sigh, Zoe opened the door and was instantly greeted by Lillymon.

"Good morning darling!" the flower Digimon cried. "In need of refreshing? Please! Come this way! I just finished preparing the baths! You're my first visitor today! I usually don't get visitors so early in the morning!"

Taking Zoe's hand, Lillymon pulled her along to a back room where she undressed and bathed in a spectacular spring tub scented with jasmine. She allowed herself to soak in the warm herbal water and took the time to give her body a good cleaning, trying not to think about who might be watching her on a different world. When she was done, she emerged wrapped in a purple bathrobe and waited for Lillymon to reappear. When she did, the other girls had arrived for their own treatments. They all greeted her, but none of them brought up the fact that she'd been out all night. When they were all in the baths, Lillymon brought her over to a chair where she did Zoe's hair and applied some make up. Zoe smiled as she examined herself in the mirror. It felt as if she were at a spa. Once Lillymon was finished, she had to leave to attend to the other girls, but not before she referred Zoe to a Swanmon who brought her over to a rack of cloths that Lillymon had picked out specifically for her while she'd been in the bath.

Zoe carefully combed through the selection of clothes, trying on an outfit or two before settling on a simple light lavender colored sundress with white lacy trim. It was sleeveless and had a white silk ribbon laced down her back, wrapped around her waist and tied off into a pretty bow at the small of her back. The dress showed off her creamy skin and delicate shoulders. She couldn't resist twirling in her dress to feel the skirt whirl around her legs.

"Wow," she heard a small voice gasp. "Pwetty dress!"

Zoe turned and spotted Suzie, already dressed up in her own sundress. This one was similar to the one that she'd woren the day before, but it was simpler and less frilly.

"Why thank you Suzie," Zoe smiled. "Your dress is pretty too."

The Swanmon handed her a pair of white sandals to go with the dress and a white ribbon choker accented with a beautiful lily pendant with matching earrings. Zoe quickly put on her accessories and joined Suzie, who was staring at her with wide eyes.

"You look beau-tea-full," the little girl said with awe.

Zoe blushed slightly but smiled back and thanked the girl again.

"I waiting for Jeri," Suzie sighed, looking at one of the dressing rooms. "She's helping Ai get dwessed."

"I see," Zoe laughed. "Well I'm all done. Would you like me to ask Jeri if you could come to breakfast with me?"

"Yes please!" Suzie beamed.

Zoe laughed again before approaching the door that Suzie had said that Jeri was dressing Ai in.

"Hey Jeri?" Zoe called.

"Yeah?" came the cheery reply.

"Is it alright if I take Suzie with me to breakfast while you finish getting ready with Ai?" Zoe asked.

"Sure!" Jeri answered. "That'd be great! Thanks! I'll see you down there."

"See you down there," Zoe called back.

She took Suzie's hand and the two of them headed down the hall to the dining room with Lopmon tagging along behind them. Suzie skipped by her side until they reached the double doors. The boys were already there waiting for the food to be served. Zoe scanned the room, looking for Takuya, but there was no sign of him. Suzie must have been looking for him too because she said, "Takuya not here yet."

"No… But Henry is," Zoe smiled, pointing out the little girl's brother.

Suzie's face lit up instantly and she tugged Zoe along behind her.

"Hen-wee!"

The boy and his Digimon partner looked up and smiled, the relief evident on his face. He had obviously been worrying that Suzie had snuck out to visit Takuya again. He picked up his sister and hugged her. Zoe noticed that the girls weren't the only ones that had freshened up. All the boys were dressed in new clothes similar to what T.K. and Koichi had been wearing when they reunited with them the day before. Suddenly the doors opened again and the rest of the girls came in, dressed in pretty sundresses, but the three that stood out from all the rest were Mimi, Sora and Mai. All three girls were wearing very alluring dresses, showing off their lovely curves. Zoe hoped that in a few years, she'd be able to wear clothes like that, but for now she would have to deal with her low plane pre-teen curves.

Once everyone was seated breakfast was served. Takuya was still missing, but Zoe tried not to worry too much.

"You look great Z," she heard J.P. compliment her.

"Thanks J.P.," Zoe smiled. "You look rather dashing yourself."

J.P. really did look good. Now that he wasn't wearing his bulky jumper, Zoe could see how misgiving the outfit had been. J.P.'s bulk wasn't fat at all. He was actually well built and firm instead of flabby like Zoe had initially thought. Now she had no problem picturing her older friend filling out Beetlemon's muscular frame. His new scar and discolored eye actually helped give him a rather rugged look. Some of the other girls across the table seemed to be thinking the same thing. J.P. actually got quite a few compliments by the time they were all done eating.

Takuya still hadn't appeared and others had begun to notice his absence, but sure enough, a few minutes later Takuya made his appearance with Darkmon wearing new clothes as well. He was wearing tan slacks and a yellow tunic underneath a crimson over shirt. Zoe smiled when she saw him. The outfit was very close to what he'd been wearing before he'd died minus the hat and goggles. It wasn't until he sat down at the head of the table next to Tai, that they all noticed that he was now wearing a medallion.

"Is that-!" Tai started but Takuya cut him off.

"The Flame Medallion? Yes it is," he said grimly. "Lord Suzakumon gave it to me earlier this morning. That's why I'm late. Looks like I missed out on a good meal, but I'm afraid we have more pressing matters ahead of us. Early this morning just before dawn, Gallantmon and his knights intercepted a Zaigou's attack on Netsusa. I listened to the battle from my room and from what I heard, it was a tag team effort. The Zaigous of Greed and Envy to be exact. Gallantmon was lucky that Embermon and his fighters rallied to back his knights up or they all might have failed in keeping the two Zaigou from reaching the city. They managed to fight them off, but I doubt that it's the last we've heard of them. Tomorrow I suggest we leave Netsusa and head for the mountain forest city, Shinrin to get the last medallion."

Tai nodded, equally grim, while everyone else traded worried looks.

"Embermon?" a few shocked DigiDestined whispered.

"Sounds like the prophecy is progressing," Izzi mused, typing away on his laptop. "If what it says is true, than they must be after you, Takuya."

The Flame Warrior nodded.

"I'm in my most vulnerable state when the sun is down," he sighed. "As I told Koji last night, I have no control over my power during that time and can be a danger to you all. But since I don't have the luxury to wait for my body to adjust to its new composition, I have to depend on my own ability to adapt to the situation. This medallion also serves as a power suppresser so I should be able to at least Digivolve into Flamemon in a bind."

"Does that mean you're coming with us?" Tai asked.

"You got it," Takuya grinned. "I'm hoping that the power transfer yesterday was enough for me to keep tabs on my own power without the use of wards. If it's not, I'm counting on you, Tai, to initiate the transfer again to stop me from combusting. Because you now bear the character of fire, my fire shouldn't hurt you."

Tai nodded slowly.

"When you say combust, you mean-!"

"Bursting into a body of flame?" Takuya grinned. "Oh yes. And let me tell you, you do not want that to happen."

"Are you referring to your potential to self-destruct with the force of a nuclear bomb?" Koji frowned.

Tai's eyes widened and so did many others.

"Well, yeah," Takuya shrugged, keeping his tone light and off handed, "but let's pray it doesn't go that far, huh?"

"Well even if it does, at least you may take a couple of Zaigou out with you," Koji grinned.

"Yeah, sure," Takuya snorted. "And while I'm at it I'll just position myself close enough to Kushyamon and pray I take him out too."

Takuya, Koji and a few others laughed at the attempt at humor, but Zoe didn't find it funny at all. She just got Takuya back. She didn't want him to die again even if he _did_ take out another Zaigou in the process. It wasn't worth losing him again.

"Well everyone," Takuya sighed, clapping his hands together. "I suggest you enjoy today. Especially you ladies. Enjoy those dresses while you can because it's back to pants and travel clothes tomorrow. We won't get too many down times in the future, so make the best of it."

Many others nodded and got up from the table to leave the dinning room. Zoe got up to leave with the other girls for a spa day, which sounded really good since she foresaw a lot of walking in the future, but Takuya intercepted her at the door.

"You look beautiful in that dress, by the way," he whispered before leaving with Koji, Tai and a few of the other boys to plan out a travel strategy.

Zoe blinked for a few minutes before blushing and hurried out to door to catch up with the other girls.

* * *

Well good for Zoe! Too bad there won't be too many chances for romance in the future with the upcoming battle with the Zaigou. Will Takuya be alright outside of the palace? Well you'll just have to find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

I couldn't resist a Zoe and Takuya moment so i hope that you kojiXzoe fans aren't too mad. there won't be a lot of romance anyways, but takuya and zoe will have their moments. i hope you all enjoyed it. Mimi is going to star in at least the first half next chapter because how can I pass up a spa session and not star mimi? things will start to move once more after a bunch of fluffy cutesy/romantic chapters. prepare for some action in the second half of the next chapter!

I hope to update my new digimon crossover fan fic, Drowning Memories, tomorrow night, but we'll have to see. i have begun to alternate writing chapters for these two stories so that when i get stuck on one, i can continue writing the other. that way they both get written! so please look forward to more updates! if you haven't yet read Drowning Memories chapter 1, please do so and review! I always looking forward to waking up every afternoon after I update the night before to a mailbox full of reviews! XD


	33. Gossip and Strategies

Wow. Chapter 33. fifth chapter i have uploaded this week (3 tUGotD and 2 DM)! O.O Holy cow! i'm not sure how i am doing it! I need some sleep. -.- zzz

This chapter is in Mimi's POV because 1, i couldn't let the girls have a spa day and not do her POV, and 2, you guys have been asking for a Mimi chapter! So here ya go! Please read and review!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

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Chapter 33: Gossip and Strategies

The Digital World: Location: Lillymon's Spa

Mimi was in heaven. She was loving her spa day with the girls. It was nice to have some down time and get pampered for once. She was currently getting a massage with Sora, Yolei, Zoe and Mai while the other girls relaxed in the mud bath. If Mimi listened hard enough, she could hear Suzie and Ai squealing with delight and splashing Kari, Rika and Jeri with the mud.

"This is nice," Yolei sighed.

Sora gave an appreciative moan when the TigerFloramon tending to her began to smooth out some tense knots in her lower back.

"Fantastico!" Zoe sighed.

"You said it," Mimi laughed. "How are you feeling Mai?"

"…Marvelous," the red head sighed as her TigerFloramon massaged her shoulders.

Mai was still a little awkward around the others, especially Kari, but Mimi had taken it upon herself to make sure that the girl was no longer treated as an outcast. Tai had actually approached her after dinner yesterday and asked her to help the new girl adjust to being a part of their group. Mimi would have done it anyway without Tai's prodding, but she was glad someone other than herself, Koichi and T.K. was trying to help the girl fit in. Mimi immediately recruited Sora to help her and the two oldest girls were trying their best to get Mai to open up. At least their current company seemed to accept Mai's presence. Yolei had been a little weary and so had Zoe, but their spa day was quickly fixing that.

When the massage was over, the five girls were then treated to a manicure and pedicure. Mimi racked her brain for a topic of conversation to get the ball rolling, only to realize that she already had one.

"So Zoe," Mimi called over to the blonde Italian. "Where were you last night? I remember you joining us after you helped Jeri put Suzie and Ai to bed, but at some point you stepped out. You were still gone when we went to bed and when we woke up this morning."

"Ah…" Zoe blushed, instantly igniting interest in the others.

"I know that look," Yolei smirked. "You were with one of the boys last night, weren't you?"

"Do tell," Mimi giggled. "Let me guess… Takuya!"

"Bulls-eye!" Yolei cried. "You should see how red your face is, Zoe!"

Zoe's face was indeed a bright red, and her posture was ridged as she tried not to disturb the Digimon painting her nails.

"Common," Mimi smiled. "We're all girls here! I'm sure we all have relationships or crushes on at least one of the boys here."

"That's right," Yolei nodded. "I'm dating Ken."

"I'm going out with Matt," Sora added gently, trying to lighten the girls' teasing. "What about you Mimi? Who do _you_ have your eye on?"

"Michael," Mimi sighed. "We're friends, but I've had a crush on him for a year! What about you Mai? I know you've only just joined us, but there's got to be _somebody_ you like."

Mai shrugged, looking nervous, so Sora decided to save her from any unwanted scrutiny by bringing up the other girls who weren't present.

"Well Kari's dating T.K.," she mused. "They haven't said anything but I'm sure that Takato and Jeri are together, and Rika and Ryo would make a cute couple..."

Mimi nodded.

"See Zoe? There is nothing wrong with you seeing Takuya. …So what did the two of you do?"

"Mimi!" Sora scolded.

"What?" the strawberry blond smiled innocently. "It's an appropriate question. It's the _answer_ that can be inappropriate."

Sora rolled her eyes, but Yolei's attention was all on Zoe who hadn't stopped blushing in spite their coaxing.

"We just talked," Zoe stammered.

"Really?" Yolei pressed, smirking. "You're face says other wise. You kissed him, didn't you?"

Zoe's face became deep crimson.

"I knew it!" Mimi squealed. "I bet you spent the night together too!"

Zoe was trying to form a coherent sentence, but failed miserably. Finally she just gave up and dropped her gaze, her cheeks still burning.

"Did you fall asleep in his arms?" Yolei asked dreamily.

The blonde nodded.

"How romantic," Mimi sighed. "So who started it? You or him?"

"Me," Zoe sighed. "I…"

"Yes?" Mimi prodded gently.

"I told him that I loved him," Zoe sighed in a rush. "I thought that I wouldn't get another chance like that so I told him, but he didn't look like he was going to do anything so I kissed him."

"Typical boys," Yolei laughed.

"And?" Mimi asked, leaning toward Zoe in her seat without disturbing the Digimon doing her nails.

"He kissed me back," Zoe sighed, her blush finally fading a couple shades and smiled as Mimi and Yolei squealed. "And then he told me that he loved me too."

"Aww," Sora smiled. "Good for you, Zoe!"

"So are you two together now?" Yolei asked.

"I think so," Zoe frowned. "We didn't really talk about it. This morning Darkmon came in to take me here to change, so we didn't really have time to talk… Hmm."

"What is it?" Mai asked gently, trying to join in the conversation.

"He said that he listened to that battle this morning," Zoe mused, "but we were sleeping and I didn't feel him shift at all."

"You were really close then?" Yolei grinned.

Zoe blushed again but nodded.

"He was also asleep when I woke up."

"Maybe," Mai mused. "But it's possible that he heard the fight begin, woke up, listened in until the fight was over to make sure that the threat had been neutralized, and then went back to sleep so that he wouldn't disturb you."

Zoe nodded slowly, remembering how close Takuya had been holding her when she woke up.

"Hey Mai," Yolei called over. "You used to be a Zaigou. Who exactly are the Zaigous of Greed and Envy?"

Mimi pursed her lips. Not only did she hate the direction the conversation had turned but Yolei had just steered it right into muddy waters. She looked over at Sora who looked equally worried. They were both afraid of how Mai would react to being questioned about a sore spot in her all too recent past. Mai looked down at her newly finished fingernails in silent contemplation. Yolei must have realized that she had made some kind of error because she suddenly paled and looked away.

"Sorry Mai," she sighed.

Mai looked up and blinked.

"Why are you apologizing?" she asked. "I was only thinking that this conversation should wait until everyone else is present."

"Of course," Sora nodded, relieved. "No sense in having you repeat yourself."

Mimi jumped at the chance to move on to a different topic, instantly going back to the point that Sora had made about Rika and Ryo making a good couple. Yolei and Zoe also jumped on the topic and helped fan the flames of Mimi's gossip.

Everyone regrouped at dinner and shared what they did that day. Apparently the boys had played a game of soccer, humans vs. Digimon, and toured the central market of the city. Leomon, Hawkmon and Salandermon had brought back souvenirs for their partners so Jeri, Yolei and Mai spent a good five minutes thanking their Digimon and looking over the other girls' gifts.

"Alright everyone!" Tai called out after they were all done eating. "Quiet down. There are some important things we need to discuss before we can go to bed."

Mimi looked up from her conversation with Zoe about fashions in Italy and New York. She couldn't help but notice that all the other goggle boys were seated around Tai. She wondered how that fashion trend had started, in not just one world but three.

"I've been talking to Takuya, and we believe that the best time to leave tomorrow is at dawn so that we have a chance to beat the heat on our way out of Netsusa," Tai stated. He then gestured to Takuya to continue the briefing. Takuya rose from his seat and began to pace slowly behind Tai. Mimi noticed Darkmon lurking in a corner watching his every move.

"I've talked with Lord Suzakumon and he tells me that the safest route to the mountains will be the underground tunnels that you all traveled in on the way here," Takuya held up his hands to ward off the round of groans this news brought. "However, we will be using a different entrance than the one you used."

Takuya pulled out a familiar looking orb and tossed it into the air above the table. It ignited in mid air and hovered where they could all see it. Mimi smiled when she heard Ai, Mako and Suzie "ou" and "ahh". The orb's flames expanded until they formed a firey map of Netsusa City and it's outer towns and villages. There was a series of lines under the surface that they could see, representing the network of tunnels. Takuya then proceeded to show them which tunnels they'd take. The entrance they needed was located in a local village a couple miles outside of Netsusa's Eastern gate.

"However," Takuya sighed, "to get to the village we'll have to go through this morning's battle field. There is a strong possibility that the Zaigous of Envy and Greed will be waiting for us. Lord Suzakumon is sending a three Mon guard with us until we reach the tunnels."

"Who are the three Digimon?" Davis asked.

"Darkmon, Embermon and Gallantmon," Takuya listed off with a smile in Darkmon's direction. "The best of the best. Now, back to business. Mai, I want you to tell us everything you know about the Zaigou's of Greed and Envy."

Mai nodded, straightening in her seat as everyone's attention shifted to her. She took a deep breath before beginning.

"The Zaigou of Envy is Netamashiimon. He's the youngest of the Zaigou and the most recently created. He was really close to Aiyokumon."

Mimi saw Takuya frown. He probably remembered the Zaigou of Lust all too well. She felt Zoe shiver beside her so Mimi reached over and held Zoe's hand. The blonde threw her a grateful smile.

"Netamashiimon is a trickster," Mai continued. "He has the incredibly annoying ability to clone himself, so you can never be sure is you're talking with him or one of his clones. I never got along with him as Paressemon. I hardly got along with any of the other Zaigou, so I don't know too much about any of them."

"What about the Zaigou of Greed?" Takuya asked.

"That would be Giermon," Mai sighed.

"German," Izzi mused.

"Excuse me?" Mai blinked.

"Sorry!" Izzi exclaimed. "I was just noting what language his name derived from. All of the Zaigou's names so far have been based off of different language translations of the deadly sin that they represent. Aiyokumon and Netamashiimon are both Japanese, Iramon is Italian, and you were Paressemon, which is Portuguese. Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

"That's alright," Mai smiled. "Anyways, Giermon has a twin, Jervmon, the Zaigou of Gluttony."

"Norwegian," Izzi noted, with a nod.

Tai raised an eyebrow at the computer genius who immediately hushed up. He then gestured for Mai to continue.

"Giermon and Jervmon are nearly identical, so it's practically impossible to tell them apart unless you are a Zaigou as well. I could probably still tell the difference since I was one of them. They both share a teleport ability. If one feels that they are in danger, they can either teleport to where their twin is, or summon him to his side for back up. Netamashiimon, Giermon and Jervmon make up the Zaigou's surveillance scout team."

"How do they operate?" Takuya asked.

"One of the twins will perform the infiltration with Netamashiimon while the other twin stays in a safe location. If they need a quick get away the twins will use their teleportation ability for a quick escape. They can take others with them, but only if they have direct physical contact. I was once the twin's third partner before Envy came along. I don't miss it. Even as Paressemon, I didn't miss it."

"What kind of things did you scout out?" Takuya asked.

Mai lowered her eyes and her shoulders slumped.

"We would scout out Digimon resistance bases," she sighed. "We deleted anyone we ran into on site and once we had the layout of the base it was our job to destroy it and anyone and anything that got in our way."

She was shaking slightly and a tear trailed down her face.

"Mai?" Mimi whispered, leaning across the table to hold her hand like she had done for Zoe a couple minutes ago.

"Sorry," Mai sighed, wiping the tear away.

"What are you sorry for?" Mimi smiled, squeezing her hand. "You're not one of them any more."

"I know," Mai smiled. "But, it wasn't that that had upset me."

Mimi gave her a questioning look.

"It's the same strategy that was used to wipe out my friends," Mai said sadly. "We aided the various resistances, but we couldn't do anything even though we were this world's DigiDestined. It was still a highly effective strategy, even back then with a different team of Zaigou."

"How awful," Kari whispered.

"So Kushyamon made you participate in the same tactics that took your friends from you," Takuya growled.

"That's sick," Davis frowned.

Tai and Takato nodded grimly. Mimi squeezed Mai's hand and Sora and Yolei, who were sitting next to her on either side, rubbed her back soothingly.

"Is there anything else that we need to know about these Zaigou?" Takuya asked gently.

Mai thought for a moment before shaking her head.

"Thank you, Mai," Tai said meaningfully. "We appreciate what you've told us."

Mai nodded, smiling.

"Well, that's all for now," Takuya sighed, nodding to Mai. "Lillymon has assured me that she has prepared travel clothes for all of us for not only the dessert, but also out travels in the tunnels and the eventual cold weather in the mountains. I suggest that we all get a good nights rest. We're going to need it. I doubt we'll be sleeping too well for the rest of our stay in this world."

* * *

The next morning Mimi was woken up by Sora. She looked blearily around and spotted Jeri waking Suzie and Ai. Mai was already up and dressed in form fitting tan cammies, a deep beige sleeveless shirt, creamy brown travelers boots and a tan hide jacket. Her long flowing red hair was pulled back in a braid that came down to her waist. Mimi couldn't help but admire the girl's natural beauty. Kari was wearing something similar but in maroon and light pink tones to highlight her light brown hair. Seeing their outfits, Mimi made her way over to her newly stocked travel bag and found her own travel-wear. Mimi's outfit was the same only fashionably green with pink accents. Every girl had an outfit similar in design. Rika's was blue; Ai and Suzie had matching light pink outfits, Jeri's was a mixture of oranges and grassy greens, Sora's was deep red, Yolei's was a mixture of blues and purples, and Zoe's was cream and lilac purple.

Once everyone was dressed and had their packs repacked, they headed to the dinning room where they met up with the boys. They too were dressed in cammies, sleeveless shirts and hide jackets and boots in various different colors. Takuya and Tai were wearing reds, oranges and browns; Takato, Davis, and Ryo were wearing different shades of blues and greys; Matt, Ken, Koji, Koichi, Kenta and Joe were wearing different combinations and variations of blacks, greys and whites; J.P., Mako and Tommy were wearing oranges and blues and greens; Izzi, T.K., Cody, and Kazu were wearing browns, oranges and yellows; and Henry, Michael, and Willace were wearing greens and browns and cream colors.

"Looks like we're all here," Tai noted once the girls joined them.

"Great," Takuya grinned, clapping his hands together. "Lets get going!"

"Where's Darkmon?" Mimi asked, when she realized that Takuya's ever-present bodyguard wasn't with him.

"She's waiting for us at the palace's back entrance with Gallantmon and Embermon," Takuya explained.

Everyone followed Takuya out of the dinning room and down the various hallways. Mimi looked around trying to absorb her surroundings one last time. They had spent a couple of peaceful days here and she'd miss it. The DigiDestined were thirty strong again and they had added one more member. As she looked towards the head of the group she noticed that Takuya held Zoe's hand for a brief moment before opening a door. She smiled and couldn't help but glance over at Michael, who looked dashing in his brown jacket and cammies. It highlighted his shoulder length wavy blonde hair. He was speaking English with Willace and J.P., but during one of her peeks she caught his eye. She smiled at him and winked, getting a light blush in return. She widened her smiled before turning to Mai, pretending to reengage in a conversation she might have been having with the red haired beauty.

"You never did tell us," Mimi said in a low voice to Mai.

"I never told you what?" Mai blinked, surprised.

"Which boy you had your eye on," Mimi giggled.

Mai blushed, but her eyes wandered toward the front of the group. Mimi followed her gaze and found herself staring at the back of Tai's head.

"Ah," Mimi smiled. "So you like Tai~!"

Mai blushed again, but nodded.

"He's a good guy," Mimi nodded, approving of Mai' taste. "I used to think that he'd get together with Sora, but apparently he waited too long and she got together with Matt. The three of them are best friends though, so I think Tai is over her by now. He's been a little lonely lately though, you know, because Sora and Matt are spending a lot of time together that's just the two of them. And now T.K. and Kari are dating so now he hardly ever sees his sister, Joe's in college halfway across the city, Izzi's always up to something with computers, I live America, and Davis and his group all have their own things going on."

Mai's face took on a speculative look, making Mimi smile.

'_I think I just might get to play match maker_,' she mused to herself.

Just then Takuya led them through the last door that took them outside to a courtyard where a fully armed Darkmon, Gallantmon, and Embermon were waiting. Takuya nodded a greeting to all three of them, getting nods in return. He even shook hands with Embermon.

"All set?" Gallantmon asked them.

The DigiDestined gave confirming nods.

"Then lets move out," Embermon grunted, taking the lead.

The light was dim, since the sun was just starting to peek out over the horizon, making the city air crisp and chill before the heat set in. They made it to the eastern gate of the city with little trouble, but after an hour of walking, the sun's heat had become disheartening. Palmon was already drooping five minutes into the desert, so Mimi carried her. The expanse of sandy wasteland between Netsusa City and the village they were headed for seemed endless. Mimi sighed as she adjusted her hold on Palmon for the tenth time so that her poor plant Digimon didn't slip out of her arms, but Palmon was suddenly whisked out of her arms. Mimi blinked and looked back and saw Michael setting Palmon on his shoulder.

"Michael?" she called to him.

"_**Don't worry 'bout it Mimi**_," the American smiled, speaking in English. "_**I'm more than happy to help. You just take it easy for now.**_"

"Thanks," Mimi smiled back, catching Mai's eye.

The two girls shared a comparative look. She looked ahead of her and spotted T.K. with Patamon perched on his head. Kari was beside him and Gatomon was sitting on her shoulder, ears drooping in the heat. Other DigiDestined were also carrying their smaller Digimon partners. It was then Mimi realized that Betamon must have been suffering from the heat too. She was about to ask Michael where his Digimon partner was when she spotted the water type Digimon resting in Salandermon's arms. They all continued walking for what seemed like hours when they finally spotted the wavy outline of the village. But before they could continue any further, the sand a few feet away from Mimi exploded, sending her and Mai flying.

"Mimi!" she heard Michael and Palmon cry out to her.

"Here they come!" Takuya's voice rang out.

Mimi and Mai could hear the sounds of Digimon Digivolving to their highest possible forms and soon Togemon and Salandermon were helping them up and shielding them from the various attacks. Both girls were very disoriented, but Mai must have managed to gain some sort of bearing because she soon shouted out a warning.

"Watch out! That's Netamashiimon!"

Mimi peeked from behind Togemon's bulk and saw what looked like a small child with wild blue hair done up in a Mohawk. He was wearing a green jacket, orange parachute pants, a purple shirt, and pink and yellow sneakers. Rather than seeing a monster, Mimi saw a kid breaking many fashion violations.

"Now that's what I call an eyesore," she frowned.

"What?" Mai blinked.

"That Netamashiimon," Mimi huffed. "He needs a change in clothes. Everything he's wearing is just so tacky!"

"You can't be serious," Mai sighed with exasperation. "He's attacking us and you're criticizing his fashion sense!"

There was a sudden loud crack and Mimi and Mai saw streaks of electrical light flit through the air. Beetlemon and the other electrical Digimon were launching their attacks. The little kid Zaigou laughed and with a loud pop, split himself into five annoying little tacky brats.

"Wait a minute," Mai gasped. "If Netamashiimon is here then where is Giermon?"

Suddenly a pain filled cry filled the air followed by Zoe's scream.

"TAKUYA!"

Mimi and Mai looked over in her direction and were horrified at what they saw. Takuya was being held up in the air by the neck by a man in black. Everything on him was black, from his hair to his leather clothes. His skin, however, was snow white. Gallantmon and Darkmon were flat on their backs in craters ten feet away and Embermon was locked in combat with one of the Envy clones.

"Giermon," Mai whispered. "He's going to kill Takuya."

Suddenly there was a loud howl that sent shivers down their spines. At first, Mimi thought that it was Matt and Garurumon, but suddenly Koji as KendoGarurumon flew out of a sand dune and knocked Takuya out of the Zaigou's grasp. Darkmon had regained her footing by then and snatched the Flame Warrior out of harms way. It was hard to tell from behind their Digimon, but Mai and Mimi realized that something had to have been wrong with Takuya. He hadn't Digivolved into Agunimon, or even Flamemon.

"Mimi! Mai!" Someone called over to them.

It was Michael. He was taking cover behind a nearby sand dune with Willace and their rookie Digimon. Mimi and Mai instantly ran to join them and ducked behind the dune so that their Digimon could fight without needing to worry for their safety. Togemon remained near the dune to proved cover while Salandermon went to cover Tai, who was now riding on WarGreymon's shoulder trying to take out one of the clones.

"I'd forgotten that with the Fire Medallion, Agumon could warp Digivolve," Mimi gasped. "Zoe needs to hurry up and get her Medallion so Lillymon can help."

"Lillymon?" Mai blinked. "What about her?"

"Lillymon is the ultimate level of Palmon," Zoe smiled. "I thought that it was kind of cool to meet one at Netsusa Palace. Especially since she was a seamstress."

"Really," Mai blinked.

"I heard that Guilmon's mega level is Gallantmon," Willace informed them. "I found out from Henry when we were talking about our Terriermon."

Mai and Mimi exchanged looks before returning their gaze to the battlefield. Things were not looking good, but things hardly ever looked good for them these days. They could only hope that something would turn in their favor.

* * *

Uh oh. Lets hope that someone does something! What's going on with Takuya? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

It was a little hard for me to write Mimi because I didn't want to mess up her dialogue. So how did i do? not too bad I hope. Next time I'm thinking of doing Davis or Tai, but I really wanna do Koji (again) because he's closer to the upcoming action more than anyone so I think i'll start out with tai or davis then continue the chapter in Koji's POV.

Some of you have been reading my new fan fic, Drowning Memories. yay! i'm alternating my writings between chapters so i'll be updating DM next. i'm on spring break so you all don't notice the change in my updates yet, but when i go back to college, you guys'll notice for sure. There'll be five to seven days between updates for this story instead of the usual three to four that I've been keeping up for the last few months. But if you're reading both stories, you will still be getting update alerts every few days. THose of you who haven't read DM, please give it a try. I'm quickly growing fond of that story as much as I am of this one. Of course tUGotD will always be my top priority since it is my first fan fic that I've ever written, but DM is rather engaging for me to write (it's got a smaller cast of characters to work with). XD

Anyways i hope you enjoyed this chapter! please review! i love reading them!


	34. Beginning the Fight Against Envy

Well here we are at 34! a small yet great battle is about to take place! it took me a little longer than usual to write this chapter but I wanted it to be great! it's probably my shortest chapter to date for this story, but a lot happens so i think the action more than makes up for it. Enjoy! And please Review!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER, OR ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 34: Beginning the Fight Against Envy

The Digital World: Location: Outside Netsusa's Eastern Gate

Everything had been going smoothly in spite of the overwhelming heat of the desert until Takuya had stopped in his tracks, his eyes unfocused, sensing something that the Three Mon Guard were only just picking up on.

"Here they come!" Takuya cried.

Davis had been at the front of the group when the Zaigous of Envy and Greed attacked. The sudden explosions in the surrounding sand had sent him and Veemon face first into a dune with Tai, Agumon, Takuya, Takato, and Guilmon, separating them from the rest of the group. He could hear the screams of the others calling out to them alongside the cries of Digimon Digivolving.

"D-Digi Armor Energize," Davis coughed in response so that Veemon could help.

Flamedramon stood on guard while Davis and the other goggle heads got up.

"You still with me Agumon?" Tai groaned.

"Guilmon?" Takato gasped, spitting out sand.

"Here," the two Rookie dino Digimon moaned as they reemerged from the sand dune that they'd been thrown into.

"Young Master Takuya!" Gallantmon exclaimed as he and Darkmon suddenly appeared behind them.

"Are you alright?" Darkmon demanded.

"Fine," Takuya grunted, his attention suddenly drawn somewhere else.

Davis followed his line of sight and saw Zoe. She was sprawled on her back behind Embermon who appeared to have shielded her during the explosions. He also noted that J.P. and Tommy were nearby darting behind a large sand dune with Matt, T.K., Henry, Ken, Koji and Koichi while Stingmon and Garurumon were on guard and Rapidmon and Pegasusmon were firing at something in the distance.

"Right," he heard Tai growl, so Davis returned his attention to his immediate position. "Takuya?"

"Yeah?" the Flame Warrior answered, tearing his gaze from Zoe.

"You have the Fire Medallion right?" Tai asked. "So Agumon should be able to Digivolve to higher levels. Can he go mega?"

"Mega?" Takuya blinked. "He's got the potential to go mega?"

Tai nodded.

"Go for it!" Takuya grinned.

"Agumon?" Tai smiled, digivice in hand.

"I'm ready when you are," the yellow Digimon gave a toothy grin back.

"Do it," Tai said, digivice glowing orange. Takuya's medallion started glowing too.

"Agumon! Warp Digivolve to... WarGreymon!"

"Sweet," Takuya laughed, watching Tai climb up onto the Mega's shoulder.

"Right!" Takato smiled. "Our turn! Guilmon?"

"Ready Takato," the rather large Rookie nodded, Digivolving all the way to the towering WarGrowlmon.

"Flamedramon!" Davis called out to his Digimon. "Back them up!"

"On it!" Flamedramon nodded, following WarGreymon and WarGrowlmon on foot into the melee.

Davis noticed that there was now a little kid on the scene with a blue Mohawk and bright clothes laughing. He was the one that was making the sand explode, scattering the rest of the DigiDestined into the surrounding sand dunes.

"Watch out! That's Netamashiimon!" he heard Mai call out.

"Way to go J.P!" Takuya crowed soon after and Davis turned his gaze just in time to see J.P. evolve into Beetlemon and launch a wave of attacks with the newly evolved Andromon, Rapidmon, Cyberdramon, and MegaKabuterimon. Everyone watched the attacks travel through the air, but the Zaigou of Envy suddenly split himself into five.

"Shit," Davis muttered under his breath.

"Right," Takuya nodded grimly. "My turn."

Davis jumped back just as Takuya started to engulf his body in flames.

"I don't think so," a cold voice said softly behind them.

Davis turned to see who'd spoken, but he was knocked to the side, back into the sand… thirty feet away from where he'd been standing. Takato had been sent flying too and landed next to him.

"Uff!" the other boy gasped as the wind was knocked out of him.

The two were trading bewildered looks when they heard Zoe scream.

"TAKUYA!"

The two goggle heads jolted into a sitting position and spotted the Zaigou of Greed hold Takuya up in the air by the neck.

"Darkmon and Gallantmon were thrown back too!" Takato gasped, drawing Davis's attention to the downed Ultimate and Mega level Digimon. "WarGrowlmon!"

The Ultimate level Digimon was there in an instant.

"What is it Takato?"

Before the Tamer could answer a loud growl cut through the din of battle. The two humans and Ultimate Digimon turned in time to see KendoGarurumon fly out of the sand bank he'd been taking cover behind and knock Takuya away from the Zaigou.

"Woo Yeah!" Davis cheered. "Way to go Koji!"

"Darkmon's got Takuya!" Takato exclaimed happily. "He's safe!"

"For now," Davis sighed. "Darkmon! Over here!"

The golden winged Digimon responded instantly and joined them. Takuya was coughing hard, holding his throat where there were angry red burn marks.

"Are you alright?" Takato asked, kneeling next to him.

Takuya let out another cough before removing his hand from his neck.

"…Fine," he wheezed. "Damn bastard did something to me."

Davis steadied Takuya as the Flame Warrior rose to his feet. They both turned to watch the face off between KendoGarurumon and the Zaigou of Greed. JägerLöwemon quickly joined the fight to back up his twin. Takato was keeping tabs on the fight between the rest of the DigiDestined and the five envy clones. He suddenly let out a cry, making the other two jump.

"WarGreymon's been hit!"

Davis's stomach sank as he watched the Mega try to right himself in the sky. He pulled out of it but not before Tai was dislodged from his shoulder.

"TAI!" came the collective cry as the DigiDestined watched their leader plummet towards the ground. Salandermon tried to catch Tai while he was still falling, but one of the bastard envy clones got in his way.

"No," Takato and Davis gasped as Tai got closer and closer to the ground.

"Not on my watch," Takuya growled, bursting into flames.

"Takuya don't!" Darkmon suddenly cried, dragging Takato and Davis back, but it was too late.

In Takuya's place there now stood an upright flaming armored dragon with golden-feathered wings. And he looked pissed. A loud horrible roar ripped through the air and the flaming beast took to the skies.

"He's become BurningGreymon," Darkmon whispered.

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Takato asked.

"Bad," Gallantmon's voice chimed in as he joined them. "Very bad. Takuya's lost his temper. He may have a clear mind now in his desire to save Tai, but in a few minutes… he'll lose control. His mind is still too human to handle the beast."

A roar of cheers rose up from their uninformed friends as BurningGreymon slashed through an envy clone and snatched Tai out of the sky before his deadly fall ended. Davis and Takato watched as the Ultimate level Fire Warrior set Tai down with Sora and Kari before taking off back into the skies. He single handedly decimated the remaining three envy clones and was doing battle with the original Zaigou, who didn't look so cocky anymore.

"Giermon!" cried Netamashiimon in the high-pitched voice of a child. "It is done! Get us out of here!"

The black clad Zaigou disengaged from his battle with KendoGarurumon and JägerLöwemon, and joined Netamashiimon after backhanding BurningGreymon away from its fellow Zaigou. With a loud sounding crack, both Zaigou disappeared and the DigiDestined began to reemerge from where they'd taken cover.

"Stay down!" Darkmon suddenly ordered, Gallantmon echoing her cry.

The DigiDestined traded confused looks until BurningGreymon let out another bone-chilling roar, bringing their attention to the sky.

"He's losing control!" Gallantmon yelled. "Everyone take cover! Darkmon, wait! Where are you going?"

Darkmon had taken to the skies and flew straight at the raging Digimon Warrior. The two started to do battle in the air, but it was obvious that Darkmon was no match for the resurrected Warrior of Flame. She avoided any damaging blows as best as she could, but it was like a car taking on a bullet train.

"Damn," Gallantmon cursed. "She's not strong enough."

"Gallantmon!" Embermon called out from beside a distraught Zoe. "What the hell is going on?"

"Takuya's out of control!" Gallantmon called back. "He never mastered control over BurningGreymon's form!"

"Sounds like Takuya's first merge with the beast spirit all over again," Koji muttered as he and Koichi quit their spirit evolutions and joined the growing crowd around Davis and Takato.

"We can't afford to let Takuya Digivolve," Gallantmon said grimly. "If he becomes Aldamon, we're all finished."

"The Zaigou weren't here to kill us," Mai sighed shaking her head as she, Willace, Michael, Mimi, and their Digimon joined the now completely gathered group, "They were here to force Takuya's hand so that he could be the one to destroy us. I should have thought of that. It's one of the underhanded schemes that they'd use."

"So how can we stop him?" Rika asked as she watched Darkmon take another hit from BurningGreymon. She wouldn't last much longer.

"We have to force him to DeDigivolve," Gallantmon sighed. "He may be in his Ultimate level form, but he's got the power of a Mega."

"Right," Tai muttered from Sora and Kari's side. "I'm all over it. WarGreymon!"

"Yes Tai?" the Warrior Mega said grimly.

Tai's eyes suddenly burned with determination.

"Take him out."

"No!" Zoe screamed, shaking against Mimi and Mai's hold.

Tai shot her a warning glance and nodded to WarGreymon who nodded grimly back.

"Knock him right out of the sky where Gallantmon can aid you," Tai ordered coldly. "Try to wear him down enough so that the two of you can keep him still enough so that I can get near him and activate a power transfer."

"You're going to send him in there alone?" Matt protested.

"We don't have any other Mega's that can fly!" Tai retorted. "Not until Gabumon can Warp Digivolve into MetalGarurumon at least!"

"What about Imperialdramon?" Davis gasped. "I know he's big, but he's got his fighter mode!"

"Sorry Davis," Ken sighed, holding up a wiped out looking Minomon, Wormmon's In-Training form. "One of the clones gave us some trouble. Minomon's too exhausted to Digivolve back into Wormmon, let along Stingmon so that we can perform a DNA DigiVolution."

"DNA?" the Tamers and Warriors repeated, but Tai waved it off.

"The point is, other than Gallantmon, we have no other Mega to take Takuya down. If any of you have any better ideas, I'm all ears," Tai sighed, waiting a minute for someone to suggest something. When they didn't Tai gave a nod to his partner, and WarGreymon took to the skies just as Darkmon took a hard hit and came crashing down to the ground. Embermon and Gallantmon were quick to come to the aid of their comrade in arms. Embermon brought her back over so that Joe could treat her, and Gallantmon waited for his chance to join the fray.

In the air, WarGreymon had engaged BurningGreymon in battle. BurningGreymon roared a challenge as WarGreymon brought one of his gauntlets crashing into the side of the out of control Digimon Hybrid's head. BurningGreymon retaliated by latching on to the Mega and pulled them into a dive. The DigiDestined cried out in alarm when BurningGreymon pulled out of the dive, releasing WarGreymon who continued to fall, but he too pulled up in time. BurningGreymon let out another loud roar before reengaging with the Mega. The two battled it out for what seemed like forever, throwing attack after attack at each other, but WarGreymon finally managed to drag BurningGreymon down to the ground where Gallantmon immediately joined the fight. Tai was off like a shot to join them, but he stayed back a good distance until both Megas managed to pin BurningGreymon down a few hundred feet away from where the gathered DigiDestined stood. BurningGreymon let out roar after roar, causing many to cover their ears.

Davis watched as Tai kneeled down next to the thrashing Digimon Hybrid, and placed his hand on its head. At first he couldn't see what happened, but Davis soon picked up on a brightening light surrounding Tai's hand. Gallantmon and WarGreymon slowly backed away. In a bright flash of light and Digi-Code, BurningGreymon was once again reverted back into Takuya. WarGreymon DeDigivolved back into Agumon while Tai picked Takuya up and carried the obviously unconscious boy back to where they were all waiting. Davis heard Zoe let out a shuddering sigh of relief. When he glanced back at her out of the corner of his eye, he saw her lean heavily against Mimi and Mai. The two older girls were uttering soothing remarks about Takuya being all right.

An hour later the DigiDestined were finally at the desert village and had just found their entrance to the mess of tunnels below.

"This is where we part," Gallantmon sighed. "Embermon and I need to bring Darkmon back to Netsusa Palace for full medical treatment. I wish you all safe passage. Take care of Young Master Takuya."

"We will," Tai nodded, adjusting his hold on said boy. "You guys take care as well. I hope we see each other again."

Gallantmon and Embermon nodded before closing the entrance to the tunnels behind the last of the DigiDestined. Tai turned around and faced the weary stares of the others, awaiting his orders. Davis glanced around and noted how nervous everyone was. Not only had they been double teamed by the Zaigou, but they'd had to forcibly take down one of their own. Needless to say they were all a little shaken.

"All right everyone," Tai sighed. "Lets see how far we can get before the torches start to dim."

"Do you want someone to take Takuya for a while Tai?" Kari asked gently. "You've been carrying him since…"

"No, I've got him," Tai smiled tiredly. "He's surprisingly light."

That said, Tai somehow managed to dig the fire orb out of Takuya's pack and tossed it into the air. The orb ignited instantly and began to bob on its merry way down the tunnel. Davis hung back a bit and fell in step behind Tai at the back of the group.

"Something on your mind Davis?" Tai asked after a moment of silence.

Davis glanced at Tai before continuing to stare straight ahead at nothing in particular.

"He just can't get a break," Davis muttered. "Takuya, I mean. Now I don't know him like you or Takato or the Warrior DigiDestined, but I can't help but feel like he's been dealt a harder time than the rest of us. Think about it, Tai. He's been possessed, killed, and revived only to be incapable of controlling his own senses and powers. What did he do to deserve all of this suffering?"

Tai paused for a moment and studied Davis. The younger goggle head had stopped too but continued to stare straight ahead, the worry obvious on his face. Tai smiled sadly and carefully extracted one of his arms from his hold on Takuya and reach out to pat his protégé on the head.

"When did you grow up so fast, Davis?" Tai smiled.

"Huh?" Davis blinked and looked up at Tai.

"Is something bothering you Davis?" Tai asked. "I have a feeling that you want to talk about something other than Takuya."

Davis looked back at Tai for a moment before looking away, a sad look on his face. Tai waited patiently for the younger boy to say something, but Davis soon shook his head. Tai nodded and patted him on the back before readjusting his hold on Takuya.

"When you're ready then," Tai smiled, continuing forward.

Davis watched Tai walk with Takuya on his back for a minute before jogging to catch up with the others. The DigiDestined and their Digimon continued to walk through the monotonous tunnels for the rest of the day until the mysterious torches on the walls began to dim. They made camp at the next intersection of tunnels they came to and Takuya still hadn't woken up. Tai positioned himself with Takuya's unconscious body apart from the rest of the camp in case there were any problems when the boy finally woke up.

Davis meanwhile was on first watch with Izzi, J.P., and Kazu. He was thinking over what Tai had told him. What Tai had asked him. Was there something really bothering him? He pondered about it for a moment and found himself looking at Kari where she was snuggled up against T.K. His heart started to ache and he hated it. He was still in love with her. If he was honest with himself, that's what had been bothering him. Why couldn't he move on? Why hadn't he told Tai? Because this concerned the older boy's sister? Because there were other things he should be worrying about like Takuya's current condition? Maybe.

Davis sighed and did a sweep of the area with his eyes. Nothing new, but his eyes lingered on Takuya's body. He remembered all the times the boy's gaze had strayed to Zoe during their trek through the desert, especially during the battle with the Zaigou. She'd been just as desperate to keep track of him during that time too. Davis didn't need to hear it from them that the two were a couple. It had been in their body language. Davis felt like he could spot any couple in the group without being told that they were together, like Jeri and Takato. Neither had said anything about being a couple, but Davis just knew that they were. Maybe it was because he never had any luck in the love department himself.

Davis was envious.

"Tee hee!" a voice laughed in his ear.

Davis whirled around only to be confronted with a wall.

"Davis? What's wrong?" Veemon questioned him.

"Nothing," Davis muttered. "I must be hearing things."

"No you're not," the voice giggled.

Davis glanced around again, causing his partner to look at him worriedly.

"Davis?"

"Davis," the voice whispered hungrily in his ear. "I'll have you yet."

Davis suddenly felt his body go numb and heard a rushing sound in his ears. The little bit that he could see in the dim lighting of the tunnels suddenly blurred and his head began to ache.

"Davis~," the voice sang in his ear. "You're mine!"

"Go away," Davis muttered, clamping his hands over his ears.

"If you wish," the voice sighed. "But I'll be back. Then we can play in person."

There was a sudden loud crack that woke all of the DigiDestined near Davis's position. Davis felt his head swim and the next thing he new, the ground was rushing up to meet him.

"Davis!" Veemon cried, attracting attention from the others on watch.

Davis fell in a heap, the listening to the voice giggling maniacally in his head.

Tai rushed over instantly, ordering the nearest person, Koji, to stay with Takuya while he went to go check on the disturbance. The few that had been woken up had gathered along with the rest of the watch.

"Davis?" Tai said, trying to rouse the younger boy, but not getting any response. "Someone wake Joe!"

Tai didn't see whom, but he heard someone rush off. A minute later the eldest boy made his way through the small gathered group.

"What happened?" Joe asked as he knelt beside Davis and felt for a pulse.

Tai looked up at Veemon.

"Well?" he demanded.

"Ah!" Veemon jumped. "I-I don't know. He was fine a few minutes ago until he started acting funny. He turned around a couple of times and stared at the wall for a second, but told me that he must have been hearing things. Then he went all stiff and started shaking. He put his hands over his ears and said 'Go away.' Then there was this loud cracking sound and he collapsed."

Many of those gathered informed Tai that it was that sound that had woken them up and that they saw Davis collapse with their own eyes.

Joe pursed his lips as he continued his diagnosis.

"Well Joe?" Tai sighed.

Joe shrugged.

"I can't find anything wrong with him," he admitted. "He doesn't have a temperature, his pulse and heart rates are normal, and no irregular breathing. For all appearances he's simply fallen asleep."

"But you don't think he just decided to take a nap on guard duty?" Tai prodded.

Joe shook his head.

"As much as Davis loves his sleep, I can't see him doing that. Not after what happened this morning in the desert."

"Of course he wouldn't!" Veemon protested. "I don't know what it was that put his to sleep, but Davis was wide awake! He said that he was hearing something! Maybe that something has to do with it!"

"Shh!" Tai hissed. "Quiet down Veemon. Look, we won't know anything more until Davis wakes up again. I suggest that we put Davis down with to Takuya so that Koji and I can take turns watching over them. Why don't you join us or go to sleep too?"

Veemon sighed and nodded.

The next morning, everyone knew about Davis's sudden collapse, and both Davis and Takuya had yet to wake up. The rest of the walk to the windy mountains of the east was a long and quiet one.

* * *

Oh man. That can't be good. Just who is the voice speaking to Davis? What does it mean that it'll have him? Well I guess you're just going to have to find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

Short but sweet, that sums up this chapter in a nut shell. I'm not sure why, but i had some trouble writing this one. Usually my combat chapters turn out to be pretty long, but this one came up short. :( Tai got to be real leaderish this time around and some of Davis's insecurities and sudden subdued mood from the beginning of this fan fic are coming back into light. I'm going to expand on these in the upcoming chapters, but right now we've got that final medallion to obtain and that prophecy to look at. At least they are out of Netsusa now. I didn't mean for that to drag on but every time they arrive at a destination I seem to get stuck with the plot and things slow down. :P

I have a new poll up for this fan fic, wondering you top 5 favorite pairings. i'd appreciate it if you all took the time to take this poll like you have done for my others. it'll really help me decide which characters to focus on in future chapters.

now that my spring break is coming to a close tomorrow, my updates will start to slow somewhat. I'll still update this fic at least once or twice a week, but I'm also updating Drowning Memories as well so the updates will flip between the two. those of you who also read DM might also notice that davis is now hearing voices in this fic too. XD maybe next i'll have him seeing dead people. O.O scary thought. anyways, please review and if you haven't yet, please check out my new fan fic, drowning memories featuring Davis and Takuya.


	35. Cody's Observations

Hey guys! I am so sorry that it's taken me a whole week to update! O.O I had the worst case of writers block yet so to make it up to you i made this chapter a little longer then usual. It's in Cody's POV (which is probably why it took me so long to write). I was thinking about who I wanted to write this time and came to the realization that no one asked for a Cody chapter! :o

So here is the (hopefully) awaited 35th chapter! Please review so that I have something to read next time i get stuck!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 35: Cody's Observations

The Digital World: Location: The Eastern Mountain Pass

Cody looked out in awe as he stood beside T.K. outside of the exit to the underground tunnels that they'd been traveling in for the past few days. Davis and Takuya were still unconscious, which worried him, but the first spectacular sight he had of the mountains that reared up all around them banished those feelings for a moment.

"Wow," he breathed.

"You said it," T.K. whistled. "I'm surprised we've made it without much incident since the Zaigou attacked us outside of Netsusa."

"Our only problem being that Takuya and Davis are still unconscious," Cody sighed. "Takuya's state is at least understandable, but Davis's… We still don't know what caused him to fall unconscious."

T.K. nodded, casting the form of said goggle-head a worried look.

"Do you think Davis has been acting strange lately?" he suddenly asked.

"In what way in particular?" Cody laughed. "Davis always acts strange."

"I mean unusual for him," T.K. sighed. "He's been more subdued."

Cody frowned.

"Well our current situation doesn't exactly warrant a cheerful disposition," the younger boy reasoned. "I'm sure even Davis feels down from time to time."

"No, it's not that," T.K. sighed. "Something's been bugging him for a while now."

Cody raised an eyebrow.

"I'm sure it's nothing for us to concern ourselves with until Davis feels that it is," he stated as he led the way back to where the others were setting up camp in the small clearing outside the tunnel opening.

"Yeah," T.K. sighed again. "I suppose you're right."

Cody smiled.

The two of them then joined Koji and Koichi by one of the fires. Cody had noticed over the last few days that T.K. tended to gravitate to wherever Koichi was and vice versa. He couldn't help but feel a little upset that T.K. seemed to prefer the Dark Warrior's company over his own. He noted that Koji seemed to hold a similar view; often casting T.K. disgruntled looks whenever the blond joined the twins or whenever Koichi got up to join T.K. Speaking of going off together, T.K. and Koichi suddenly excused themselves and left to talk to Mai who was conversing with Mimi nearby.

Mai was another mild upset in the group. Even though Tai, Mimi and Sora had joined T.K. and Koichi in their efforts to help the girl become part of the united teams of DigiDestined, she was still an outcast, the five of them being her only real friends among the large group except for perhaps Zoe and Yolei. It wasn't uncommon for T.K. and Koichi to go off and keep the rehabilitated Zaigou company. Cody noticed that this seemed to spark a jealous streak within Kari. She didn't like her boyfriend spending so much time with another girl, especially the one that had stabbed her brother. He'd tried bringing the situation to T.K.'s attention, but the blonde had laughed it off, saying that Kari knew that his relationship with Mai was strictly a friendly one. She also seemed to have issues with how much time T.K. was spending with Koichi and not her.

At the moment Mai, Koichi and T.K. were laughing at a joke Mimi was telling.

"It's odd, isn't it," he heard Koji mutter under his breath.

Cody looked up and watched the raven-haired boy stab a stick into the fire.

"I was worried about T.K. giving my brother a tough time, but now they are the best of friends," Koji sighed, resting his head on his knee. "I thought that Koichi needed my support, but now… maybe I'm the one that needed him."

Cody stared at the older boy for a moment before speaking.

"I'll agree that their sudden friendship is a little odd," he nodded. "Out of all of us, T.K. had the worst aversion to the forces of darkness. He would get really angry when the powers of darkness were used to create Digimon that did nothing but destroy. It got so bad at one point that I went to Matt and asked him what could have happened to make T.K. act that way. I only joined the DigiDestined a year ago so I wasn't there when it happened, but apparently during their first major battle in the Digital World against a really powerful enemy that was using the powers of darkness, Patamon digivolved into Angemon, sacrificed himself to save T.K., and reverted back into a Digi-egg. It had scared T.K. because it had been the first time Patamon had ever Digivolved. They didn't know much about Digimon back then so he'd thought that Patamon had died. Matt thinks that T.K. has been holding on to that same fear even after all these years."

Koji nodded, looking at the blonde in question as he nudged a laughing Koichi in the side. A soft peaceful smile suddenly spread across his features.

"I've never seen Koichi look so happy," he admitted. "He always seemed so down, blaming himself for things that were beyond his control. Even when he smiled he wasn't really happy, except for perhaps the first time I came to meet Mom. That had made him really happy. He's the older twin, but I've always felt like it was my job to look after him."

"That's understandable," a voice broke in.

Cody started and Koji blinked in surprise as they found themselves staring up at Matt who had been passing by when he'd overheard the last bit of their conversation.

"I know that it's not the same, because I'm the older brother in my case, but I know what you mean about feeling that it's your job to look after your brother," Matt sighed as he took a seat, deciding to join the two. "I do the same with T.K. I really babied him when we were younger though. This was years ago when I was around your age and T.K. was eight. I had thought that he really needed me, but when I look back on it, I can't help but think that it was the other way around. I was more of a loner and wasn't much of a team player back then. Tai and I nearly always got into fights so I wasn't exactly close to anyone. I ended up suffocating T.K. with my overprotectivness to the point where he got mad at me, saying he could take care of himself. That had really shocked me. I started thinking that maybe Tai would have been a better older brother for T.K. than I ever could. After all, Tai had a great older brother relationship with Kari and seemed to know just what to say to T.K. when I couldn't. He treated T.K. like an equal, not some fragile thing that needed to be taken care of twenty-four-seven."

Koji nodded.

"Now I know you don't baby Koichi," Matt smiled, "but I can tell you two rely on each other quite a bit."

"I suppose," Koji shrugged. "I mean, we are close, but we've only known each other for half a year."

"Doesn't matter," Matt shook his head. "You're brothers. Twin brothers at that. There will always be a deep bond between the two of you no matter who comes into your lives."

Koji smiled slightly before looking up at the dimming sky. Cody watched the exchange with a sense of relief. He'd noticed that Matt hadn't been too comfortable around Koji lately, but the similarities they shared in their relationships with their brothers seemed to bring Koji back into Matt's good books. The two continued to talk about their ties with Koichi and T.K. and even got a good laugh out of each other.

Cody decided that he'd been a third wheel long enough and silently slipped away. He considered joining Joe and Izzi, but they were having what looked like a serious conversation with Tai, Kari, Ryo and Zoe. He noticed that J.P. was off with Michael and Willace, showing them card tricks. The three of them were speaking in English so he didn't think to join them. Yolei was chatting with Jeri, Rika, Sora and their Digimon while the little kids were sleeping nearby. Henry and Takato were playing some kind of card game with Kenta and Kazu while Ken and their Digimon watched with amusement. He then realized that Tommy was missing. He felt bad that he hadn't been friendly towards the boy back when T.K. hadn't gotten along with Koichi and even now he still hadn't tried to befriend the boy. He looked around and couldn't spot Tommy among the scattered clustered groupings of DigiDestined.

"Whatcha lookin' for partner?" the voice of Armadillomon yawned.

"Tommy," Cody answered, "I don't see him anywhere."

"Maybe he went to take a leak," his Digimon said reasonably.

Cody nodded slowly, but continued to look for the boy anyway. It was a minute later that he spotted Tommy's orange hat bob behind an outcropping of rocks before coming back into view. The boy sat away from the others and seemed to be looking at something. Cody decided to join him, Armadillomon only a few waddles behind.

"Hello Tommy," Cody bowed slightly as he approached.

"Hello," Tommy nodded back.

"Is something wrong?" Cody asked as he took up the rock beside him.

Armadillomon simply yawned and curled up next to the two boys.

"Takuya still hasn't woken up yet," the boy sighed, the worry evident on his face. Cody then noticed that it was Takuya's still form that Tommy was looking at.

"Davis hasn't woken up either," Cody said in his soft voice. "At least we know why Takuya's out, but Davis…"

Tommy looked up at him.

"I'm sure he'll be alright," Tommy smiled. "He's a lot like Takuya so I'm sure both of them are going to wake up soon."

Cody smiled back.

"Yeah. And then we can yell at them for worrying us."

Tommy laughed and Cody chuckled. Armadillomon smiled as he listened to the two boys talk, getting to know each other better on the fast track towards friendship.

* * *

The next morning Tai got everyone up to begin their long trek through the mountain pass that would lead them to Shinrin City. Cyberdramon and Salandermon had taken it upon themselves to carry Takuya and Davis for the morning until Gabumon digivolved into Garurumon to carry them for the afternoon. This was the arrangement that they'd used for the last couple of days. Since Takuya was still unconscious, Izzi was leading them again with his laptop and Guardromon's scanners. The climb through the mountains was a little exhausting now that the group had to walk up an incline instead of on the level ground of the tunnels that they were used to traveling in. Tai made sure to call a break every fifty minutes for a ten-minute break. This made the going slow, but the breaks were greatly appreciated. Especially since they had little ones with them. By noon, Suzie was sitting on Henry's shoulders while Ai and Mako were riding Guilmon and Leomon.

Cody noticed that Tommy was starting to wear down a little over the course of the afternoon, but the other boy hadn't complained and kept on walking. This interested Cody because Tommy was obviously the youngest of the Warrior DigiDestined and easily the fourth youngest chosen child in the group as a whole. He was sure that if Tommy asked, one of the older kids would offer to carry him or let him ride their Digimon since it was obvious that he couldn't take much more when they finally stopped for one of their hourly breaks that afternoon. Cody decided to address the issue while they were still stopped.

"You look tired," Cody smiled gently.

"Yeah," Tommy sighed, but looked sheepishly away as he answered Cody's unspoken question. "But I don't want to be a burden to anyone."

Cody shook his head.

"You're not a burden. You're a friend. If you're tired you should say something."

Tommy flashed him a tired but grateful smile as he leaned against Armadillomon's shell. A second later he dozed off and Cody took the opportunity to ask someone to help his new friend. Takuya was the obvious choice since Tommy was a younger brother figure to the Warrior of Flame, but he was still unconscious. T.K. automatically came to mind, but Cody didn't want to be insensitive to any misgivings Tommy might still have about the Barer of Hope. Koichi was out too since Cody wasn't sure if he could handle addressing the Warrior without feeling too bitter about it. That left, in his mind anyway, the remaining Warriors: J.P., Zoe or…Koji! Of course! Cody quickly scanned the group for the dark-haired boy and spotted him resting nearby on his own. Quite the loner, wasn't he?

"Uh, Koji?" Cody said tentatively, bowing as he approached.

Koji twitched slightly, but anyone who wasn't as observant as Cody wouldn't have noticed.

"What's up?" Koji asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Ah…"

Cody suddenly felt nervous and found that the words failed to make it from his brain to his mouth, but his eyes strayed back towards Tommy. Koji followed his gaze and nodded, easily understanding Cody's unspoken request. He patted the shorter boy on the shoulder as thanks and then headed over to Tommy to pick him up piggyback style. Cody followed the raven-haired boy, rejoining with his Digimon partner who was taking one of his famous naps.

"I didn't realize that you and Tommy were friends," Koji mused when Tai got the group moving again.

Cody stared guiltily ahead beside a groggy Armadillomon.

"We weren't," he admitted. "Until last night, I suppose we were just too stubborn and didn't even try befriending each other because we felt it was important to stand by our current friends. He was there for Koichi and I stood by T.K."

Koji nodded.

"Funny how one person in this group can change how others interact with each other. Everyone is important even if we don't realize it."

Cody smiled. He wondered why he'd had trouble talking to Koji only a little while ago. They were the same age after all.

Suddenly there was a large explosion up ahead that caused everyone to cry out in alarm.

"Are we being attacked again?" Koji growled, crouching down, prepared to set Tommy down if he needed to. The younger boy had been woken up by the explosion, and was very confused to find himself on Koji's back.

"What'd I miss?" he blinked, alarmed.

"Nothing yet," Cody answered, getting an amused snort from Koji.

"What the hell?" someone ahead of them cried. Matt maybe?

"Davis!" Kari's voice screamed, alarmed. "Stop it!"

Cody felt his insides go cold and rushed forward.

"Hey!" he heard Koji cry out, but he ignored him.

Cody rushed past some of the other DigiDestined until he came face to face with an alarming sight. Davis was standing in the middle of the lead part of the group, his eyes glowing bright red, holding the unconscious Takuya by the throat looking as still as a statue. Soon Koji and Tommy arrived next to Cody, equally stunned.

"Davis," Cody whispered.

Veemon came to stand beside his froze partner, pleading with him to let Takuya go. Davis suddenly released his hold on Takuya and clutched his head, letting out a whimper of pain. Tai rushed forward instantly, gripping the boy by his shoulders.

"Davis," Cody heard the older boy say sternly. "Look at me."

Davis responded before letting out another pained sound, collapsing in Tai's grasp, unconscious once again. Cody looked around and spotted Kari, shaking in T.K.'s arms.

"What happened?" he asked them.

Kari shivered, shaking her head, but T.K. glanced sadly at Davis as Tai and Matt managed to get him and Takuya up on Garurumon's back once more.

"We're not completely sure," T.K. sighed. "He was unconscious one moment, then the next he's sitting up on Garurumon's back. It happened right after that explosion. It all happened so fast… The next thing any of us know, Davis is pulling Takuya off of Garurumon with him and looked like he was going to choke him to death! His eyes were glowing red… could he be possessed by something?"

"Yes," a voice said sullenly. "Something's got a hold on Davis's mind. I hadn't noticed a dark presence until the moment it acted through Davis."

The five turned to face a worried looking Koichi.

"Even now, the presence is so weak that I can hardly register it, but it's defiantly still there," the Warrior of Darkness continued. "Whatever it is must have entered Davis before he collapsed a few nights ago and has been keeping him unconscious in order to gain control over his body. I'm going to inform Tai of this latest development. Maybe Izzi can use Guardromon to perform a scan to see if he can pick up on anything unusual in Davis or Takuya's makeup. If that doesn't work, than maybe I could do something…"

"Don't take any unnecessary risks," Koji frowned.

"Don't worry," his twin smiled. "You know I won't."

And with that Koichi jogged up to Tai where an obviously serious discussion between the leader and the Dark Warrior began.

Later that day when they settled down to camp for the evening, all the DigiDestined watched as Tai carefully laid out Davis's body a few feet away from Takuya's than he had the previous nights. Cody decided to join Tai so that he could ask him a few questions.

"Hey Cody," Tai sighed as he plopped down hard onto the ground.

"What happened to him Tai?" Cody whispered as he crouched down next to Davis's head.

"I'm not sure," Tai shrugged sadly. "No one knows and the ideal person to ask is also unconscious."

"What could Takuya possibly know about this?" Cody asked.

"He's half Digimon now Cody," Tai reminded him. "He's got this newfound power and knowledge inside of him that not even I can explain. When I performed the power transfer a few days ago it was like I was inside his head. There was a flood of information buzzing around inside of him that it hurts to even contemplate. I've finally come to realize that he's not just Takuya reborn, Cody, but Agunimon and BurningGreymon as well. Three spirits melded into a single soul and crammed into a singular humanoid body. It's no wonder he has control issues."

Cody nodded, eyeing Takuya's sleeping form.

"How much longer do you think it'll take for him to wake up?"

"Not long," Tai smiled. "He told me so."

Cody raised an eyebrow, making Tai laugh. Sometimes Cody spent way too much time with Izzi and picked up on the computer genius's small quirks.

"Takuya spoke to me in a dream," Tai clarified. "Apparently it's a special link that's forged between those who are bonded together. I'm sure T.K. and Koichi can do it, but they just don't know how. I bet they'll be really freaked out when they experience it for the first time."

Cody shook his head with mild amusement as Tai snickered at the thought.

Suddenly Davis's hand twitched, attracting his attention. He got up and kneeled next to Davis's side.

"What is it?" Tai asked, beginning to rise himself.

"His hand twitched," Cody shrugged. "I wonder what-!"

Cody didn't get to finish his thought as Davis's eyes flew open, glowing red, and his hand jerked up and grabbed Cody by the throat in a vice like grip. Cody gripped that hand, trying vainly to pull it back.

"Cody!" Tai cried, gaining the attention of the rest of the DigiDestined who were still on edge from the last incident a couple hours ago. Tai tried to pry Davis's fingers off of Cody's neck, but they were as immobile as a stone. If anything, Davis's grip had tightened. Cody gasped, trying to breathe, but he knew that he wasn't getting enough air into his lungs. His chest was starting to burn and lights danced before his eyes as darkness encroached on the edges of his vision. His head started to ache and his heart thudded loudly in his chest as blood rushed in his ears.

"Dav… is," Cody choked, looking down into his friend's glowing red eyes.

It was those eyes that unnerved Cody more than the fact that Davis was choking him to death. Those eyes, despite their bright and vivid glow were empty and cold. There was simply nothing in them even as he tried to kill one of his friends. Davis wasn't even in there. There was no hint of the cheerful and overly optimistic goggle-head in them. Those eyes should have been a dark chocolate brown that lit up with an inner light of their own.

"Davis," Cody choked again. "Please…"

Was it his imagination or did the hand holding his throat lessen its grip? Cody felt his consciousness slipping and his hands lost any remaining hold they had and fell limply at his sides. He could vaguely hear Tai calling out to him, telling him to hold on.

"Dav…is," Cody whispered just before oblivion claimed him…

* * *

Cody knew that he wasn't dead. He couldn't be. He was in too much pain to be dead. Death was supposed to be, if anything, numbing or peaceful. He could occasionally hear voices too, but they were always just out of range where he could actually make out what they were saying. What had happened after he backed out? Had Davis come to his senses or had Tai succeeded in getting Cody out of that deadly grip?

Slowly sensations other than pain were returning to him so he focused on any and all feeling that he felt. His head ached dully, his neck was sore making it painful just to breath, his chest felt tight like there was a weight on it, and the rest of his body simply felt numb. He could feel something soft beneath his head, probably a pillow or a small sleeping roll. He couldn't feel any small pebbles or rocks beneath him so he was most likely laid out on a sleeping bag or pad.

A hand suddenly took his right hand into theirs. It was larger than his own, but that didn't narrow down the possibilities of who it was. A lot of the DigiDestined were bigger than Cody was, excluding only Ai, Mako, Suzie and Tommy. It wasn't gloved, however that didn't mean much since gloves could easily be taken off. The hand wasn't slim or soft so that excluded all the girls too. This conclusion was soon supported when this someone started speaking to him in a low male voice.

He still couldn't make out any of the words, but the voice was familiar. He waited as the voice continued to speak in its low tenor until he began to make out words. It was gradual at first, but as his ears began to work, his other senses began to kick in as well. It still hurt to breathe, but he could now smell the clean mountain air and the crisp smell of wood burning and smoke. It would be a while before he could hear the fires, but he was content with just being able to smell.

"…under again," the voice was suddenly saying. "…kuya woke up… stopped Davis. Koichi… do a reading… I'm a little worried… never done it be… Koji… going crazy. Ha ha… Matt is giving him… looks again. Probably thinks… crazy. I'm sorry that… been there for you… too much time with... my fault."

Cody could tell that it was T.K. talking to him now. Even if the voice hadn't sounded so familiar, the words spoken were a dead give away. Cody tried to move, but his body didn't want to work yet. However, he must have managed to at least move a finger or two because the hand holding his jolted, almost pulling away out of shock, but began to hold his hand tighter.

"Cody?" T.K.'s voice spoke softly in his ear. "Can you hear me?"

Cody managed to moan slightly, the effort burned his throat, making him cough.

"Thank God," T.K. breathed, his relief obvious. "Thought… a goner."

Another voice called out to T.K., but it was too far away for Cody to make out any words.

"I think he's waking up," Cody heard clearly as T.K. raised his voice to respond. "Could you go get Joe, Kari?"

Ah. So it had been Kari. Cody tried to open his eyes, but it felt like they were glued shut. He let out a soft huff of frustration, just barely hearing T.K. laugh softly beside him.

"How…he?" Koichi's soft voice suddenly asked.

It sounded like he was close. Figures. He had probably joined T.K. after Kari left to get Joe.

"Not sure," T.K. admitted softly. "…think he …me?"

"No," Koichi's voice answered his question. "…his friend. …me he hates."

"Why?" came T.K.'s shocked respond.

"You… time with me," Koichi sighed. "Koji… same way. …remember to spend… old friends."

T.K. let out a gusty sigh.

"He warned me," T.K. stated. "…about Kari. Didn't… until Matt joked… gay."

Koichi laughed.

"Are we that close?" T.K. asked.

"I suppose," Koichi laughed. "Koji… murderous."

"Gee, thanks," T.K. growled sarcastically. Cody could only imagine the blue-eyed blond rolling his eyes.

"How is he?" Joe's voice asked as he entered the scene.

Cody felt a hand on his forehead and assumed it was Joe's. Joe lifted up one of his eyelids so he could now see the young blue-haired man leaning over him on his right with Koichi, T.K., and Kari hovering behind him. Cody nearly growled with frustration as Joe let his eyelid go, allowing it to reseal itself shut.

"He hasn't spoken yet," T.K. told Joe.

"Probably can't yet," the doctor-to-be sighed. "It's …for him just to breathe. Upamon… of him. You may be …even harder for …breathe than it already is."

Upamon? Had Armadillomon DeDigivolved due to his near death experience. The tightness and weight on Cody's chest lessened slightly as the In-Training form of his Digimon was removed. He hadn't felt any pressure beforehand so Upamon hadn't jumped off of him. T.K. or Kari had probably picked him up. He then felt something soft nuzzle his right cheek.

"Please wake up Cody," he heard Upamon whimper in his ear.

Cody found that he could now move his head a little and leaned into his Digimon partner.

"Upa…mon," he breathed.

"Cody!" the tiny Digimon squealed happily.

Cody flinched at he loudness, but it was something. He slowly managed to move his arm and bring it up towards his neck where Upamon was now trying to burrow himself. He let out a moan when Upamon hit a rather sensitive spot, but his hand had finally managed to find his partner and rested it on top of him.

"Careful Upamon," Joe said. "You don't want to hurt Cody any further."

Cody felt a great sense of relief. He was able to hear complete sentences again. Upamon stopped trying to dig himself into the space between his shoulder and jaw, settling for Cody's hand instead. Cody managed to finally pry his eyes open a crack and noticed that it was dark outside. What time was it? How long had he been out?

He groaned slightly but managed to lift his head a little. They were still camped where they'd stopped when he'd last been conscious.

"Cody?" T.K.'s voice called out softly to him.

Cody tried to answer, but found that he couldn't. It felt like the words were stuck and getting lodged in his throat. He coughed, his eyes shutting once again and his head fell back down onto the soft thing it had been resting on.

"Don't make him talk," Joe suggested. "He was nearly choked to death after all."

"Sorry," T.K. mumbled.

Cody found he was breathing hard and that seared his sensitive throat, making him grimace. Or at least he felt like he was grimacing. He tried taking deep and gentle breaths before opening his eyes again, wider this time. He was able to take in Joe, T.K., Kari and Koichi's worried expressions. He decided to try reassuring them with a small smile before attempting to sit up. Joe had a supporting arm wrapped around his shoulders, engulfing his small frame. His head throbbed for a moment, but when it settled he let out a sigh and smiled.

Upamon jumped into his lap and beamed up at him.

"You're alright!" the little Digimon head laughed happily. "You are, aren't you?"

Cody gave him a small nod before reaching up to gingerly massage his throat. He could feel where Davis's hand had nearly crushed his windpipe and was now hindering his ability to talk. It was tender and he didn't need one of Mimi's mirrors to know that there was a bruise there. Joe carefully pulled his hand away from his throat.

"You don't want to aggravate it," he told Cody gently.

Cody nodded once before looking around. Everyone else was fast accept for Tai who was conversing with… Takuya! His eyes widened with surprise, which alarmed those watching him, but Joe caught on fast.

"Yeah, Takuya woke up right after you blacked out," Joe explained. "I'm not sure how he did it, but he managed to pry Davis's hand off of you before… well, before you were past the point of no return."

"Scared the hell out of me, just waking up like that," Kari frowned.

Cody suddenly spotted Davis's still figure near Tai and Takuya.

T.K. noticed his friend's gaze and decided to answer Cody's unasked question.

"After he got Davis off of you, Takuya started fighting with Davis," he said sadly. "Davis threw a punch, but Takuya managed to pin him down before he could get up. They wrestled on the ground for a while until Davis started screaming. Takuya kept him pinned while he screamed and thrashed underneath him."

"I couldn't watch," Kari admitted, hugging T.K.'s arm.

"It was a rather disturbing sight," Koichi agreed grimly, picking up the story. "Takuya kept him down until he stopped moving and fell unconscious again. Something is defiantly trying to take over his body. Davis must be putting up a good fight though because whatever it is has never been in control for very long."

Cody nodded. He only hoped that Davis would be able to fight off whatever it was that's trying to gain control of his body.

"When are you going to try assessing what's doing this to him?" T.K. asked Koichi, bringing Cody's attention back to those around him.

"Sooner that I'd like," Koichi sighed. "I've never actually tried to see into a person's inner core on purpose. It's usually pretty well guarded. Outer cores are simple and readable so I've never had a reason to look further. Besides, it's a huge invasion of privacy to read into a person that far. I could end up seeing something that Davis doesn't want me to. Everyone has their secrets."

Cody shivered. He hadn't known that Koichi was capable of that. He knew that the Dark Warrior could gage the amount of darkness in a person, but to actually be able to see into the "core" of a person kinda freaked him out.

"Hey guys," came a cheerful voice.

Cody's head jerked up in time to see Takuya and Tai join them.

"Glad to see you awake," Tai smiled at Cody, patting him on the shoulder.

Cody smiled back, nodding his head. Tai cast Joe a curious glance.

"His throat hurts when he talks," Joe explain Cody's lack of response.

"I think I can fix that," Takuya mused as he kneeled in front of Cody, taking off his right glove. The now bare hand was covered in an interesting pattern of Digi-Text. On the back the text formed the iconic shape of a phoenix.

"This may feel a little strange," Takuya warned him with a reassuring smiled. "But if it hurts for some reason, feel free to hit me or something."

Cody smiled, feeling at ease instantly. Takuya then reached out with his hand and lightly touched the bruising on his neck. Then he gently placed it against the bruise the same way Davis had when he'd been choking Cody. Cody never took his eyes off the goggle head, waiting for Takuya to do what he had in mind. Suddenly a warm feeling emitted from Takuya's hand and seeped into his throat. Takuya then slowly withdrew his hand, leaving an odd, but pleasant tingling feeling behind.

Cody took in a steady breath, realizing that it didn't hurt to do so. He quietly cleared his throat. That didn't hurt either. He looked up at Takuya with curious wonder. The boy grinned back at him.

"Better?" he asked.

"…Yes," Cody sighed, nodding, finding that speaking didn't hurt either. He reached up to his neck, touching it softly. The bruise was still there, and still tender to the touch, but the burning in his throat had died down to an almost non-existent numbness. "How…?"

Takuya's grin widened.

"I eased the burning sensation in your throat," he explained. "One of the benefits of being the Fire Warrior. I can heal any kind of burn whether it's my own or someone else's. I wasn't sure if it'd work though since a sore throat isn't actually a burn. I guess it's more of the sensation of burning that I eased. That's why the bruise is still there."

"Thank you," Cody bowed slightly from where he sat.

"Interesting," Joe mused. "You can heal any burn?"

"Yup," Takuya smiled, popping the 'p.' "Call it my special Digimon Warrior power. Fire and heat have no effect on me whatsoever."

"Cool," Tai laughed.

"Yeah," Takuya sighed, shaking his head. "So what's happened while I've been out of it?"

The next half hour was spent with catching Takuya up on recent events. Afterwards they all turned in for the night, but not before waking the next few DigiDestined selected for the new watch shift. Cody couldn't help casting one last glance Davis's way before holding Upamon close and falling asleep himself. He could only hope that they'd be able to find a way to help his possessed friend soon.

* * *

I hope so too Cody. At least Takuya's up. Will they find a way to help the unconscious goggle head? What will Koichi find when he "assesses" Davis? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

Yay! I finally updated! So did you like Cody's chapter? You don't get to hear much from the quiet boy so most of it was thoughts. The next one is gonna inevitably be Koichi and maybe Davis again. I am so sorry for my writers block, but on the bright side, even with writers block, I still updated more often than most writers on this site... right? O.O

I hope you enjoyed chapter 35 and that you all review! Please?


	36. Koichi's Reading

Chapter 36 is here! Yay! It took this long to post this chapter for two reasons.

1: fanfiction was having some issues for an entire _**week**_ and it wouldn't let me in to add chapters to either of my fics!

2: because i hadn't updated my other fic, I slacked on writing this one. :P

But the site has fixed itself and i can now finally give you new chapters! Yay!

As I told you last time, this chapter is in Koichi's POV for the most part. I hope you enjoy this latest chapter. Please review and those of you who haven't already, please go to my profile and participate in the new poll I put up a week ago (just after this site decided to be difficult) and vote on the five digimon you'd like to hear from in future chapters for this fic!

* * *

Chapter 36: Koichi's Reading

The Digital World: Location: The Eastern Mountain Pass

Koichi woke up beside Koji that morning feeling groggy. He hadn't slept much after he and T.K. had made sure that Cody was all right. Koji was already awake, rolling up his sleeping bag.

"Morning," Koichi mumbled.

"Good morning," Koji smiled back. "Sleep well?"

Koichi made a face, making Koji chuckle.

"Well that's what you get for staying up late with T.K.," his twin said in a teasing tone.

Koichi paused before sitting up, trying to gauge his brother's mood. Koji seemed fine, but whenever T.K. was mentioned, he knew that the Warrior of Light could become… irritable. However that didn't seem to be the case this morning.

"You're in a good mood," Koichi noted.

"Hmm?" Koji blinked then shrugged. "I suppose."

"You're just happy that Takuya's finally awake," Koichi laughed as he caught his twin's "casual" glance in the Flame Warrior's direction.

Koji frowned.

"Of course," he growled. "He's been out for days. I'll be even more relieved when that loud mouth kid, Davis, wakes up and goes back to normal."

After saying that, a worried look clouded his features.

"You're going to attempt reading him today, aren't you?" he whispered.

"I am," Koichi sighed. "Last night nothing showed up in any of the tests that Joe and Izzi ran on him. …I'll be fine Koji."

"You can't promise that," Koji snapped. "You don't know what will happen!"

Koichi stared at Koji for a moment before he got up and hugged his brother.

"You're right," he whispered. "I can't. But look me in the eye and tell me that I won't be. You're the one that can see into the future. Look at me and tell me what you see."

He pulled back and looked his brother in the eye. The pain and worry in Koji's eyes almost made his resolve crumble, but Koichi was stronger than that. He remained calm and stared into Koji's eyes with determination. Koji stared back, allowing the vision to form in his mind's eye, praying that he'd see something, anything that would help reassure him that Koichi would be all right. But what he saw unsettled him, or rather, what he _didn't_ see. He saw Koichi initiate the reading by going into a trance of some kind, but from there the future became enshrouded within a blanket of fog, which meant that anything could happen. His brother's future was unclear, and that frightened him.

"Koji!" Koichi's voice cried out to him.

Koji quickly snapped out of the blank vision and found that he was shaking, clutching Koichi's forearms.

"What's wrong?" Koichi demanded. "What did you see?"

"Nothing," Koji gasped.

"Like hell it was nothing," Koichi said firmly.

"No," Koji shook his head, "I literally saw nothing! Just fog! I can't tell you what will happen once you start the reading."

"But you saw me do it?" Koichi demanded. "I was performing the reading?"

Koji nodded miserably.

"What's going on?" T.K.'s voice called out as he wandered over.

Koji twitched in his arms, so Koichi cast T.K. a warning glance. He was relieved to see that the blond wasn't at all fazed by Koichi's stare. Instead, T.K. gave an understanding nod and backed away, leaving the twins relatively alone. Koichi returned his attention to his younger twin and tried to think of ways to reassure him. He couldn't think of many, but he had to try. All the time that they'd spent in this Digital World had been doing a number on Koji's nerves. He'd lost his best friend in their first major battle against a Zaigou, he'd had to stick up for Koichi against some of the other DigiDestined in the beginning, he was having visions that were often confusingly vague and almost always changing, Takuya had been revived only to relapse into unconsciousness after major fights or sensory overloads, and now Koichi was going to make an attempt to see into Davis's core that could ultimately put his own well being at risk. Yeah, Koji's nerves were shot all right.

"I won't be alone," Koichi whispered. "You'll be there, Tai and Takuya will be there, and Mai will be standing by to assist me if needed. Who knows more about this sort of thing than her?"

He heard Koji sigh and begin to push away, most likely ashamed about his latest little break down. Those were happening too often for the younger twin's liking. Koichi retaliated though, holding Koji closer to him. Koji didn't try to pull away again. Instead, he returned the embrace.

"I know," Koji muttered. "And T.K. will be there as well, right? If something goes wrong, he'll be there to help you."

Koichi blinked. Was Koji actually admitting that he wanted T.K. present?

"Yeah," Koichi mumbled. "He's a good friend."

He felt Koji smile against his shoulder.

"He's all right I guess," Koji chuckled.

Koichi laughed too, ending the embrace to look at Koji. His twin didn't look upset anymore, but the worry was still etched in his features.

"Koichi!" called Tai's voice over.

Koichi and Koji looked up and saw the older boy beckoning him over.

"Go," Koji sighed, gesturing towards Tai and Takuya. "I'll take care of your sleeping bag and join you in a minute."

Koichi gave him a small smile before getting up and heading over to Tai and Takuya. T.K. joined him on the way over.

"How is he?" the blond whispered.

"Worried," Koichi sighed. "He's going to make himself sick if he keeps it up."

"Yeah, well, brothers have a tendency to worry excessively," T.K. chuckled.

Koichi smiled slightly.

"He wants you there, you know," he told the blond.

"Really?" T.K. blinked before grinning. "Nice to know I'm making a better impression on him after all of my terrible first impression. He really wants me with you during this reading or whatever it is?"

"Yup," Koichi sighed. "If you're there, he'll worry less. He said that if something goes wrong you'd be able to help me."

T.K. frowned.

"How'd I be of any help?" he asked.

"Not sure," Koichi shrugged. "I think he's assuming that we can do things that will help each other like what Tai and Takuya are capable of doing as bonded partners."

T.K. raised an eyebrow.

"Well it's not that we haven't had to go to such extremes recently," Koichi said a little defensively. "We haven't been in that kind predicament since I fought Paressemon as Golden Löwemon after you transferred that energy to me. So it is highly probable that we can do similar things that Tai and Takuya can do."

T.K. laughed.

"Yeah, maybe so," he grinned. "But still, how could I possibly help you if something goes wrong with your reading thing? What good would I be?"

Koichi shrugged again.

"Maybe it'll just come to you. You should ask Tai or Takuya."

T.K. nodded, musing to himself as the two of them approached the only other bonded pair of DigiDestined.

"You sure you want to do this, Koichi?" Tai asked.

"As sure as I can be," Koichi admitted sheepishly.

"How does Koji feel about this?" Takuya asked.

"He's worried," Koichi answered. "He can't see how this is going to turn out, so he's not sure if the reading is a good idea."

Takuya nodded.

"Well, it's all up to you," Tai sighed. "It's your choice whether or not to do the reading. No one is going to make you."

Koichi shook his head.

"No, it needs to be done," he said firmly. "Something dark is inside of Davis and we need to know what it is. I don't want us to loose another DigiDestined. Not everyone is lucky enough to be brought back from the dead by the Celestial Digimon like Takuya was."

Takuya nodded grimly.

"I was only brought back out of necessity and because of Agunimon's connections in this world," he agreed. "A Flame Warrior was needed, and, according to Agunimon, I was the best for the position. I am grateful to the deity Digimon for this second chance at life, but I would not wish the life of a Digimon-human hybrid on anyone. In some ways I preferred being dead."

Koichi looked at Takuya in alarm. He'd never heard the usually cheerful leader speak such dark thoughts before.

"When do you want to do this?" Tai asked Koichi, also casting Takuya a worried glance.

"As soon as possible," Koichi said slowly. "Better to do it in the daylight hours than at night when the powers of darkness are at their strongest. Maybe around noon when there is the most daylight?"

Tai nodded.

"Sounds good to me," the leader smiled. "That way we can get some traveling done today."

The other three nodded. A half hour later after a quick breakfast, the DigiDestined were off again. Koichi decided that he should spend this time with Koji instead of T.K. He knew that Koji knew what he was up to, but he hadn't said anything about it. The twins walked in companionable silence, no words needing to be said. By now the other DigiDestined had heard about the reading that Koichi was going to attempt at noon and had decided to leave the two of them relatively alone. Even Takuya and the other Warriors left the two brothers alone. Koichi was grateful for that. As the sun rose higher into the sky and noon approached, he noticed that Koji was starting to get a little nervous again. He still retained his calm persona, but Koichi knew him well enough to spot his younger twin's minor nervous twitches.

"All right everyone!" Tai's voice eventually called out from up ahead. "We'll stop here for today!"

While everyone gathered around and began to set up camp, Koji and Koichi joined Tai and Takuya as the two helped Matt take Davis's limp form off of Garurumon's back so that the Champion Digimon could shrink back into Gabumon.

"Hey guys," Tai grunted as he and Matt set Davis down on a sleeping bag that Takuya had just rolled out.

"Hey," the twins said back in unison.

Takuya looked up at the sky and frowned.

"I don't like the look of those clouds in the west," he muttered under his breath.

Koichi heard him and looked up and saw a few fluffy clouds emerging from over the mountains behind them.

"They're still a ways off," Koichi shrugged. "But it doesn't look like it'll rain."

"I don't know," Takuya mused. "Something's not right about them…"

"Like what?" Koji asked, gazing up at the clouds along with Tai and Matt.

Takuya merely scowled in reply.

"I'm not sure," he muttered. "They just don't feel like normal clouds. Well, as normal as you can get in the digital world anyways."

"Should we hold off the reading then?" Tai asked, glancing around at the others.

Takuya shook his head before smiling.

"Nah. They don't feel ominous, so they shouldn't affect the reading," he sighed. "I just don't like the feel of them. Sorry. Didn't mean to worry anyone."

Koji glared at Takuya, making the other three chuckle. T.K. joined them a little later with Mai, Izzi and Joe. The other DigiDestined were gathered around, but at a distance in case something happened when Koichi was performing the reading. The Digimon also remained on the sidelines. Some of them remained with their human partners, but most of them, like Agumon and Gabumon, stayed with Veemon to lend him their support. When the computer genius and medical student were finally present, Tai gave Koichi a nod and the Dark Warrior kneeled down a little ways away beside Davis.

He racked his brain for a good way to focus his mind and settled on a deep breathing exercise that he had learned from a doctor that had taught it to his mother during one of her bouts of sickness. He closed his eyes and took three deep breaths, focusing on every inhale and exhale. Then he mentally reached out towards Davis until he hit a "wall." Now this "wall" was the outer layer of Davis's core and easy to pass through. In this layer he could sense Davis's pain and worry about his condition and the attacks his body had made on Takuya and Cody. The next couple core layers were also easy for Koichi to pass through, revealing most of Davis's characteristics, giving Koichi a strong impression of what the boy was really like. He could feel Davis's sense of courage and strong will, but he could also sense the doubts and the few fears that Davis actually had. Overall, Davis was a surprisingly strong individual and had more layers to his core than Koichi had originally thought.

After a little more digging Koichi arrived at the final layer, the innermost core. He hesitated before trying to enter. This is where Davis's secrets and most private thoughts would be kept. He had already invaded Davis's privacy by going this far into the older boy's core, but he knew that he had to breach this final layer if he had any hope in finding out what was possessing Davis and causing him to shut down into this coma-like state out of instinctive self-preservation. After re-gathering his determination, Koichi forced himself into the final layer of Davis's core…

* * *

While Koichi was getting ready to breach Davis's final core layer, an hour had passed. Koji was sitting beside his brother worriedly. He'd seen it in his vision, but Koichi's trance state frightened him. After the three deep breaths, Koichi's eyes had reopened, but the irises were pure black and were blank as if they saw nothing before or around them. T.K., who'd already seen Koichi in this state once before, wasn't as unnerved as the other DigiDestined, but he had to admit that it was still an eerie sight. The boy of Darkness had remained still, breathing in the same even deep silent breaths. He didn't even blink. Nervous whisperings from the DigiDestined behind them had begun after the first twenty minutes had passed and Koichi still hadn't moved. Now that they reached the hour mark, these whisperings had grown even louder, loud enough for those sitting near Koichi to hear. Everyone was on edge by now wondering the same two things. Should the reading be taking this long and how would they know if something had gone wrong?

* * *

Koichi finally passed into the final layer of the innermost core and was instantly bombarded with Davis's most cherished or secret memories and thoughts. Quite a few of them centered around Kari and T.K. He could feel Davis's sadness, bitterness, and anger, but all of these emotions were drowned out by a sorrowful sense of acceptance. Koichi felt uncomfortable seeing the boy's affections that he still obviously held for the pretty DigiDestined of Light, but the further he plunged into the core, the further away he got from these thoughts and memories. When he finally moved on to a more central part of Davis's core, he found a huge source of darkness. Now he was getting somewhere. This was what he'd come for. As he reached out to this darkness an unexpected "wall" suddenly blocked him.

"_Well aren't you a nosy one_," a familiar voice hissed at him from behind the "wall." "_You don't belong in here._"

"_Neither do you,_" Koichi mentally responded.

"_I do to!"_ the voice retorted childishly. "_This boy is mine! He belongs to me now so get out!_"

The mentally formed "wall" suddenly pushed Koichi back, forcing him out of the inner core, but it didn't stop there. It proceeded to force him out of Davis's core entirely…

* * *

Koji watched Koichi carefully, waiting for Koichi to come out of the reading. His eyes narrowed when he saw Koichi twitch and shiver slightly. He traded concerned glances with T.K., but Mai spoke softly from the other side of Koichi.

"He's reached the inner core by now," she informed them. "He's probably seeing things he doesn't want to see. Everyone has their secrets. I'm sure Davis is no different."

Koichi's body settled back down and was still once more for another five minutes. Then it suddenly stiffened, the hairs rising on the back of his neck. Mai tensed, and rested a hand on Koichi's shoulder.

"Something's wrong," she muttered, gaining everyone's attention, just before Koichi's body shook with spasms and let out a hoarse cry. His eyes remained blank and glazed over, but the black slowly returned to indigo.

"Koichi!" Koji cried, holding onto his twin's other shoulder.

"Naughty, naughty," a child's voice giggled from the direction of Davis's body. "Sticking his nose where it doesn't belong!"

"Netamashiimon," Mai growled under her breath while staring at Davis's body where a dark shadow was starting to rise up from, making the poor possessed boy arch his back and scream silently. As the shadow emerged it began to take shape and just as it finished molding itself into a shadow version of the Zaigou of Envy, it lunged at Koichi and Koji. T.K. leapt up and spread his arms wide to shield to two twins, but Mai had also risen from her crouched position by Koichi. She quickly stood in front of T.K., making the shadow clone of Netamashiimon halt in mid-attack.

"You!" his child's voice shrieked. "So this is where you've been! Traitor! I always knew you older Zaigou types were weak! How dare you betray the Master!"

Mai didn't even bother to respond to his accusations. She merely stared the shadow clone down.

"Have your clone leave that body," she ordered.

"No," the little Zaigou's clone growled. "He's mine now!"

"Netamashiimon!" Mai barked.

Much to the amazement of the DigiDestined, the shadow being actually flinched at the sound of her harsh tone.

"You will release him or so help me, I will deal with you personally!" Mai growled.

Shadow Netamashiimon blinked and hovered in front of her speechlessly for a second before he let out a shrill laugh.

"Ha!" he crowed. "As if! You're just a puny human now! What can you possibly do to me? Well, Paressemon?"

Mai put her hands on her hips and smiled sweetly. She tilted her head up and looked down her nose at the little Zaigou so that her eyes hooded slightly. She subtly changed her posture and gave off the air of contempt that she once possessed naturally as one of the Zaigou. The small alteration in her appearance sent shivers down T.K.'s spine. Even though she had been a friend and ally during the past week, it appeared that Mai had retained some of her Zaigou form's chilly qualities.

"Do you want to find out?" Mai asked, the threat obvious in her undertone.

Netamashiimon cowered slightly and shrank back from her and towards Davis's body once more.

"You witch!" he screamed hoarsely. "I _will_ get you one of these days!"

And with that the little Zaigou's shadow clone sank back into Davis's body, allowing it to return to rest. Mai frowned as she approached the now limp figure and kneeled down to examine Davis. Meanwhile, T.K. had torn his gaze away from her, deciding that Koichi was the one who needed his attention the most since he was still spasming in his brother's arms.

'_What can I do?_' he wondered as he stared down at the twitching form of his friend. Joe was by his side a second later and began examining Koichi.

"He appears to be going into some kind of state of shock," Joe said grimly.

"Netamashiimon must have used that shadow clone to force Koichi out of Davis's core," Mai called over from her position next to Davis. "A forceful removal of that sort would defiantly cause some sort of trauma. Especially in Koichi's case. It took him nearly an hour just to reach Davis's innermost core, so a quick exit would defiantly cause him some kind of harm."

T.K. and Koji looked up and stared numbly at the fiery redhead. She had a hand resting on Davis's forehead as if she were checking him for a fever. Seeing this, Tai got up and joined her.

"What are you doing?" the leader asked.

"Deciding whether it's safe or not to impose a seal on the Envy Clone in Davis's core," Mai replied.

"You can do that?" Tai asked, amazed.

Mai gave him a small smile.

"As a Zaigou, I specialized in seals," she explained. "I have retained most of my Zaigou form's sealing abilities even after Koichi and T.K. made me human again. However, _because_ I'm human again, they won't be nearly as strong or permanent as they once were. So if by some miracle I can impose a seal on the clone, it'll only be temporary. Netamashiimon is far more powerful than I am now."

"He seemed pretty scared of you," Tai noted.

"He's scared of Paressemon," Mai sighed, shaking her head. "Not me. Not the human."

"Why is that?" Tai wondered.

"I was assigned as his mentor when he was first created," Mai laughed without humor. "Needless to say as Paressemon I was a rather… harsh teacher. He still fears me because back then I had no problem wiping the floor with him. Now he is far more powerful than I am, but he still fears the memory of my Zaigou countenance. I wasn't sure if acting like Paressemon would work or not, but thankfully it did."

Tai and some of the others who had heard the exchange laughed.

"Do you have an idea of how to help Koichi?" Koji asked, a little irked that the former Zaigou was helping the unconscious Davis rather than his brother who needed the immediate help.

"There's nothing any of us can do," Mai sighed. "The spasms and tremors should lessen eventually. He's not suffering from anything physical. It's all mental. I'm sorry Koji, but you'll just have to wait for Koichi to recover on his own."

Koji looked away from her and back down to Koichi. T.K. did the same.

Mai and Tai however, returned their attention to Davis.

"So can you do it?" Tai asked her.

"I think so," Mai mused. "I just need to find the source of his core. It's almost always within the mind…"

Mai went quiet for a moment and most of the DigiDestined watched as she went into a trance similar to the one that Koichi had been in, except her eyes remained green instead of turning black. Salandermon left the clustered group of Digimon and took his place behind his human partner while Veemon rushed over to Davis's other side, praying that whatever Mai was doing would work.

It was silent in the DigiDestined camp aside from Koichi's groans as his body continued to spasm and twitch. A minute later Mai smiled and let out a sigh as her eyes began to clear. She fell back a bit into her Digimon's waiting arms just as Davis gasped and sat up, clutching his head. He let out a strangled sob, driving Tai into action. The older boy tried his best to comfort the awakened goggle head, but all he could get out of Davis was sobs and one word: sorry.

T.K. and Koji watch this for a minute before returning their attention to Koichi. Both of them felt so helpless and frustrated that they couldn't do anything. T.K. sighed inwardly as he rested a hand on Koichi's shuddering shoulder. Suddenly a shock coursed through his body, making him jump and jerk his hand away.

"What is it?" Koji blinked, confused by T.K.'s action.

T.K. stared at his hand for a moment before looking back at Koichi.

"I'm not sure," he mused as he reached for Koichi's shoulder again. A tingling feeling entered his hand the moment it made contact with Koichi. The back of his neck began to prickle and Koichi's spasms settled down a little. When T.K. removed his hand, Koichi's spasms increased back to what they'd been before. Seeing this, T.K. instantly placed his hand back on Koichi's shoulder.

"What the…" he breathed.

"Looks like you need to perform an energy transfer."

Both T.K. and Koji jumped before looking up at Takuya who had come up behind them while Tai was dealing with Davis.

"H-how do I do that?" T.K. stammered.

"Touch the tattoo of your crest on the back of his neck," Takuya replied, gesturing to Koichi. "That's how Tai does it. The only difference is that ours is on the back of our hands instead of our necks."

T.K. looked back down at Koichi before moving his hand around to the back of Koichi's neck. The prickling on the back of his neck increased, and if anyone was looking at the character of Darkness etched into the back of his neck underneath his hair and hat they would have noticed that it was glowing softly. Koichi's spasms ceased almost immediately and after a couple more minutes his twitches and tremors stopped as well. Now he was resting peacefully in his brother's arms.

T.K. let out a relieved sigh before looking back towards Davis. He was no longer crying or saying sorry, but he looked miserable as he continued to hold his head in his hands. Veemon was trying to cheer him up by making light of the situation, but T.K. could tell that the Digimon partner was doing more harm than good.

* * *

Well it's good that Davis is finally up, but is he going to be alright? And what about Koichi? I guess you're just going to have to find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

Phew! glad that's done with. I'm not gonna say who's POV it'll be in for the next chapter this time because it's a surprise! :D

I've been asked this a lot and I didn't want to do a useless poll so I'm just going to ask you all what you think and you can put your answer in your review or something. How many of you _would_ like to see Koichi and TK as a couple? I hadn't even considered that when I started this story and the first time I was asked if I was going to make them a couple I just brushed if off basically saying "feh. hell no! TK's got Kari!" but after more of you kept asking me that i found that I was really starting to actually consider it! now that I look back on past chapters I can see how i might have unintentionally hinted that they could become a good gay crossover couple! So what do you think? I'm not saying that i will make them a gay couple, but it'd make for a rather interesting spin off bonus story. XD

I'm sorry, I know that this chapter is a little one the short side, but this was as far as it would allow me to go within this mind set. I'm finding that I get distracted real easily now so these chapters are going to be coming out less frequently than they have been at least until I reach the end of the semester. I will continue to write, but right now my grades are starting to suffer.


	37. Standing By Your Partner

Chapter 37! Woo hoo! i am SO SORRY for the long wait folks. I've had a lot of tests to study for, a social life to salvage, and another horrible bout of writers block! But now chapter 37 is here! I can't believe how hard it was for me to write this chapter, but you all voted, the results came in and now you've got it! This is a special chapter written in Veemon's POV! I have never written in a Digimon's POV for an entire chapter before so this was really hard for me to write. I can't believe it almost took me a freaking month! CURSE YOU WRITERS BLOCK! A lot of you had mention in reviews for past chapters that I left out Veemon's lisp. THere was a very good reason for that... I SUCK AT SPEACH IMPEDIMENTS! But since this was a chapter that you all wanted I decided to give it a go and as of now, I will write in Veemon's lips. Eventually I will go back to the previous 36 chapters and write the lisp in. At least now I'll have something productive to do the next time I have writers block.

Any who... Here is the long awaited chapter 37 in Veemon's POV. I hope you enjoy and please, please, please, please, PLEASE! review.

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 37: Standing By Your Partner

The Digital World: Location: The Eastern Mountain Pass

Veemon watched Davis nervously as the DigiDestined continued on their way through the mountain pass the next morning. Ever since Koichi had performed that reading and Mai had sealed the Envy clone-thingy within him, Davis just hadn't been the same. He wouldn't talk, so Veemon had tried to engage him in conversation and lighten the mood with jokes, but he'd realized too late that he seemed to be doing more harm than good. Davis had become withdrawn, only responding to a few of the questions that Tai, Joe or Izzi asked him in short or few worded replies. He wouldn't even speak with Ken, and he was Davis's best friend! …Second only to Veemon of course…

"…Davish?" Veemon said slowly, deciding to make another attempt.

"Hmm?" the human boy grunted, glancing down at him.

Veemon hated seeing the haunted look that now appeared in the usually cheerful boy's eyes. Whatever that horrible Envy clone had done to Davis, Veemon hoped that its effects wouldn't last too long.

"…Uh… how are ya feelin' ta-day?" he smiled, watching his partner intently.

Davis blinked slowly before letting out a soft sigh, looking skyward.

"…Kinda depressed," he laughed softly, but without a hint of humor.

Veemon nodded and they continued traveling in the middle of the group in silence. At the end of the hour Tai called for the usual fifteen-minute break and while Davis sat down to rest, Veemon took the opportunity to seek out a Digimon that he knew he could count on for advice… Agumon. The orange dinosaur Digimon was talking with Gabumon when Veemon finally found him.

"Agumon," Veemon called over. "Can I talk ta ya?"

"Sure," Agumon smiled. "What's up?"

"And please don't say 'the sky' again," Gabumon laughed.

Veemon smiled at the crack, but it quickly faded.

"I need some advicsh," he admitted. "I'm not sure what ta do."

"About what?" the digi-dino asked, cocking his head inquisitively to the side.

"It's Davish," Veemon sighed. "Ever since he woke up, he's been so… down. I don't know what ta do. I've tried all my good jokes, some of Gomamon's too, and I've also tried light conversation, but he never says more than five words adda time! I'm worried. He's not… it's like he's not Davish anymore!"

Agumon paced a clawed hand on Veemon's shoulder.

"Just give him time," Agumon said reasonably. "He'll come around eventually. We don't know much about it, but he's been through a lot lately."

Veemon nodded, looking down at the ground. He'd figured that the answer would be something like that.

"Don't worry Veemon," Gabumon smiled, standing on his other side. "I've been through the same thing. I remember when Matt went into a similar kind of depression. He just needed time to sort out his feelings. I'm sure that all that Davis needs is to do the same. The important thing is that you are there for him so that when the time comes you'll be there to listen to his problems. Veemon, you're Davis's Digimon partner, his best friend. If he's going to open up to anyone it will be you. Just stick by his side like I did with Matt and he'll come around eventually. You'll see. Everything will be fine."

"Exactly," Agumon nodded.

"Thanks guys," Veemon smiled as he looked up at the more experienced Digimon.

"No problem," Gabumon smiled back. "Now get back to Davis. I'm sure he's wondering where you are."

Veemon nodded and hurried off to where he'd left Davis, feeling his spirits lift a little after talking to Agumon and Gabumon. He found his human partner alone, resting against a cliff wall, looking up at the sky with sunlight reflecting off his goggle's lenses. Veemon sat down next to him and restlessly watched the other DigiDestined and their Digimon talk to each other. He really wasn't used to Davis being so quiet and still, so simply sitting around and doing nothing was a little hard for the blue dino to do even on a break.

"…Where'd you go?" Davis suddenly asked him.

Veemon jumped.

"Wha?" he blinked.

"Where'd you go?" Davis repeated, glancing down at him, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah… I went ta talk ta Agumon and Gabumon," Veemon stuttered. "Why?"

Davis shrugged, looking skyward once again. "…Just curious."

Veemon watched Davis carefully for the next few minutes until Tai got the group moving again.

"Hey Davish?" Veemon blurted out as the human boy rose.

"Hmm?" Davis blinked, looking down at him again.

"…Ya know that I'm here for ya, right buddy?" Veemon demanded.

Davis blinked, looking dumbfounded for a moment, before he smiled and knelt down to Veemon's level.

"I know you are," Davis told him, patting him on the head.

Veemon wouldn't normally allow himself to be patted on the head as if he were a baby or In-Training Digimon, but because he was so worried about Davis that the small gesture and minimal connection meant everything to the blue two-and-a-half foot tall Digimon. He smiled and followed Davis back to join the others. They traveled in the middle of the group again, but no one approached Davis and Davis made no move to reach out to them in return. This made Veemon feel a mixture of sadness and anger. He was sad that Davis wasn't even making an attempt to reconnect with his friends, and mad because everyone was treating his human partner like a mental-mon case. Everyone but the six older DigiDestined and Mai that is, but they were in the front of the group preoccupied with bigger problems then Davis's. However, Davis had openly avoided Takuya and Cody the other night, so Veemon knew that it wasn't entirely their fault that those two didn't dare try to approach the troubled human.

As the day went on and the DigiDestined made more progress through the mountains, Veemon's worries began to lessen. He was getting used to this quieter Davis. It still felt unnatural and set him on edge, but Agumon and Gabumon's advice kept coming back to him, helping him deal with his misgivings. There had been no incidents during their travels that day so many of the other Digimon were relaxed. Veemon, however, was one of the few still on their guard, so he was the first to sense something wrong. He froze in his tracks, eyes widening.

"What's wrong?" Davis asked him when he noticed that Veemon had stopped.

Veemon quickly gazed along the mountain pass's cliff edge above them and noticed a movement that caused some rocks to dislodge above them.

"Ambush on the cliff side!" Veemon cried out in alarm, driving Cyberdramon, Leomon, and Salandermon, the only other three alert Digimon, into action.

Cyberdramon took to the skies, spotting their would-be attackers instantly, while Leomon drew his blade, shielding Jeri, Rika and Takato, and Salandermon stood defensively before Mai, Tai, Matt, Izzi and Joe.

"Davish!" Veemon called out to his partner and got a determined nod in return.

Veemon was relieved to see that at least that part of Davis was still in tact. He could now feel the energy welling up within him from Davis's Digivice and quickly used it to Digivolve into ExVeemon, joining Cyberdramon in the skies. The two dragon type Digimon ducked and dodged any projectiles that the enemy threw at them while they tried to get near enough to find out who they were and to see if they could chase them off. Stingmon, Kabuterimon, and Beetlemon soon joined them with Birdramon and Aquilamon hanging back in case they needed extra assistance.

Below, Tai ordered the DigiDestined to quickly scatter for shelter and avoid gathering in large groups in order to avoid making themselves easy targets. Many of the other Digimon had Digivolved so that they could protect their human partners. The large forms of Greymon, Growlmon, and Korikakumon were only a few of the many that had joined Leomon and Salandermon's defensive stance on the ground while the battle along the cliffside began.

Cyberdramon struck out rather recklessly as he cut away half of the surrounding rock in order to flush out their enemy. Rocks hurtled down towards the alarmed DigiDestined below, but quick shielding blasts from Togemon and Leomon kept any of them from getting crushed.

"Careful Cyberdramon!" Beetlemon called out. "You might hit someone below!"

Cyberdramon grunted an acknowledgement before striking out a second time. ExVeemon could feel the raw power radiating off of the cyber Digimon. He knew that Beetlemon must have had something to do with it because of the Lightening Medallion that the boy wore. He had wondered why only the insect type Digimon had arrived to help the two dragon Digimon while Birdramon and Aquilamon hung back. It wasn't just because they could fly; it was because with J.P. and the Lightening Medallion, they had an extra power boost and advantage. He quickly realized that he might be at a disadvantage himself due to his lack of a power boost.

ExVeemon was beginning to consider backing down to let Cyberdramon, Beetlemon and the other two insect Digimon handle this when their enemy suddenly revealed itself.

"It's a Golemon!" Beetlemon cried out.

"Well there goes an element advantage," they all heard Stingmon mutter.

"It doesn't matter," Kabuterimon said reasonably. "It just means that we're on even grounds. With the Lightening Medallion's power boost, Golemon's earth advantage is null and void."

ExVeemon readied himself again for battle. Advantage or no, he was on even terms with this opponent alongside the others. He couldn't help but smile at the thought. He hadn't liked the idea of backing down anyway. That just wasn't his style. …Nor was it Davis's.

"Rock Ball!" came a loud gravely yell as rocks began to pelt down on them from above. Another yell called out soon after, adding to the projectiles.

"There are three of them!" Kabuterimon reported as the three rock Digimon surfaced and pelted them from above.

"Not for long!" Cyberdramon roared as he jetted upward.

ExVeemon was quick to follow him. The two whirled in quick and tight turns and twisting maneuvers as they dodged their enemy's attacks.

"Desolation claw!" Cyberdramon roared as he cleared the finally cliff ledge and cut upward with his glowing right claw at the nearest enemy.

"ExVee Laser!" ExVeemon cried as he quickly crossed his arms and released a huge energy blast, finishing off the Golemon that Cyberdramon had attacked. It crumbled into pieces before dissipating into bits of data.

"One down, two to go," Cyberdramon smirked as the two dragon Digimon angled their flight path back for another pass.

"Sulfur Plume!" came the gravely duet as the two remaining Golemon spat out a cloud of black mist.

This caused ExVeemon and Cyberdramon to pull up short as the enemy's attack hit them head on. ExVeemon managed to inhale a breath of clean air before the attack surrounded them. He heard Cyberdramon cough and splutter. ExVeemon tried using his wings to blow away the acrid smoke that surrounded them, but it was no use. He heard a groan next to him followed by another horrible round of hacking.

"Cy…Cyberdramon!" ExVeemon spluttered, trying not to breath in the bad air.

"I can't… hold…"came a wheezed reply before he saw a dim glow of yellow beside him on his right.

"Cyberdramon!" ExVeemon shouted out as he felt a rush of air beside him.

Knowing that his comrade had DeDigivolved and fallen, ExVeemon plunged into a dive. Just as he was clearing the searing smoke, he spotted a purple dinosaur Digimon with yellow markings just below him. He took a deep breath of the now clean surrounding air and gave his wings a mighty thrust before snatching the unconscious Digimon into his grasp. The DigiDestined below had spotted him and many let out alarmed cries. ExVeemon threw out his wings and tried to pull out of his steep dive. He struggled with the air currents for a moment before finally catching the wind enough to slow his decent, but it was not enough to prevent him from crash landing. He managed to roll onto his back so that he didn't crush Cyberdramon's rookie form. They slid a good ten feet before finally stopping in a heap. ExVeemon wasn't sure, but figured that if he had ears, they were certainly ringing. Davis's alarmed cry was the first thing that he heard after crashing.

"ExVeemon!"

ExVeemon groaned as he sat up and set his rescued comrade down beside him.

"Monodramon!" Ryo's voice could be heard now as he and Davis rushed to their two downed partners. Just as the two human boys reached him, ExVeemon managed to stand himself up. He looked skyward, but couldn't see any hint of how the battle above was going.

"ExVeemon!" Davis's worried cry brought him back to his current situation. He looked down at the boy and couldn't help but smile. There was a spark in the young human's dark brown eyes. It wasn't nearly as bright as it had once been, but there was a light there, nonetheless.

"I'm fine Davis," he assured his partner.

"You sure buddy?" Davis asked, demandingly stubborn, eyes close to blazing. It almost made ExVeemon laugh with relief. Almost. It still wasn't anywhere near normal, but it was a start.

ExVeemon nodded and returned his gaze back up to the dark smoke that was still billowing above them. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Ryo kneeling down next to his own Digimon partner who sat looking up at him in a daze.

"Monodramon?" Ryo said softly. "Are you alright?"

"Fine," came the tired reply followed by a couple of coughs.

"You should get him to Joe," Davis told the other boy.

ExVeemon saw that the Rookie Digimon was about to protest.

"The smoke up there was pretty vile," ExVeemon cut in. "You should make sure that he didn't inhale too much."

Ryo nodded and picked up Monodramon.

"You should go with them Davis," ExVeemon added.

"What?" the goggle boy blinked.

"Just GO!" ExVeemon roared before spreading his wings and taking off.

He hovered in the air for a moment or two in order to make sure that Davis did as he had requested and that both he and Ryo were on their way to Joe before taking a deep breath and plunging back into the smog. He ripped through the acrid smoke and emerged above it in time to see Kabuterimon get knocked out of the sky on his left. Birdramon and Aquilamon had joined the fight now as they helped Stingmon battle a Golemon that had rooted itself in a really good defensive position while Beetlemon was taking on the other Golemon all on his own. Without hesitation, ExVeemon came to the Thunder Warrior's aid, knocking the Golemon back a couple feet with a surprise attack.

"I was wondering where you were," Beetlemon stated. "Where's Cyberdramon?"

"He inhaled too much of that smog," ExVeemon grunted as the two of them readied themselves to take on the Golemon.

"Man," Beetlemon sighed. "Well I don't think Kabuterimon's coming back. His energy has just faded."

"Probably inhaled that smog on his way down," ExVeemon mused just before launching an attack. "ExVee Punch!"

"Lightening Blitz!" Beetlemon cried with a follow up.

The Golemon staggered back another couple of steps with a groan.

"Now!" Beetlemon cried. "While he's unbalanced!"

"ExVee Laser!"

"Thunder Fist!"

The two energy attacks fused together and slammed into the Golemon's chest, going right through it. Their opponent let out a low rumbling roar before it burst into data. The two of them turned around to help the others finish the final Golemon off, but that turned out to be unnecessary. They were just in time to see Stingmon slice clean through the final enemy while Aquilamon and Birdramon held it in place with their own attacks. Instantly the smog over the cliff side dissipated and a hushed silence filled the air. The Thunder Warrior led the victorious party back down into the passage below. A cheer rose up from the DigiDestined as Yolei, Sora, Ken and Davis raced to their partners. Joe was apparently done tending with Monodramon and Tentomon because he was there in an instant to see to any injuries that the others had received. Izzi and Ryo could be seen nearby with their partners while everyone else rushed forward to meet the returning fighters.

"ExVeemon!" Davis called out as the dragon Digimon made his landing.

ExVeemon saw Davis's infamous grin and wildly excited eyes. For a moment, the Digimon could pretend that the boy was back to normal and that the whole thing with the Envy clone had never happened.

"We got 'em!" ExVeemon grinned back, grabbing hold of his human partner and pulling him into a hug.

"ExVeemon?" Davis blinked, startled by the embrace.

ExVeemon let out a contented sigh before allowing his tired body to revert back into Veemon, who was now wrapped in Davis's arms.

"Hey Davish," he laughed warily.

Davis looked down at him for a moment before adjusting his hold so that he could get a better look at Veemon.

"Are you alright?" Davis asked.

"I'm fine Davish," Veemon laughed tiredly. "Just kinda depressed."

Davis blinked, recognizing his own words from earlier that day.

"Oh?" Davis asked, tilting his head to the side. "Why?"

Veemon shrugged.

"Cause I coulda taken 'em on my own, but had ta let Beetlemon an' the others help."

He heard the now DeDigivolved Biyomon and Hawkmon let out indignant huffs, but the only reaction that mattered to him was Davis's. Veemon was getting worried when the human simply stared, but relief flooded through him when Davis let out a snort followed by a loud round of guffawing laughter that was now attracting everyone's attention.

"I'm sure you could have Veemon," Davis laughed with a sigh, actually wiping a tear away from his eye. "You're my partner after all."

Now THAT sounded more like the human partner he'd been waiting for all those years under the Digiegg of Courage.

"That's right!" Veemon beamed. "And together there ish nothing we can't handle. Right buddy?"

Davis paused his laughter for a moment, looking thoughtful, before grinning wider then ever.

"Right!"

Veemon happened to glance over Davis's shoulder and spotted Agumon and Gabumon nearby. Agumon was grinning, giving him a nod, while Gabumon gave him a conspiratorial wink and smile.

* * *

That night everyone was talking about the most recent attack with the Golemon, but most of the conversations were centered around the seemingly quick recovery of Davis's personality. Davis had actually started talking to others again, offering more to a conversation than two to five worded responses, but Veemon could tell that the his partner wasn't anywhere near recovered. He was satisfied with how things were at the moment though. Davis had his smile back and would talk to those he had been close to like Ken, Tai, and Takato, but he was still withdrawn. He wouldn't avoid Cody or Takuya anymore, but it was obvious that he was uncomfortable around them no matter what they said to try and ease the guilt he still undoubtedly felt about his harmful actions towards them while possessed.

At the moment Veemon was sitting with Ken, Davis and Wormmon as the four of them ate dinner. It was nothing special, just a broth soup with some bread. Ken was chatting lightly with Davis while Veemon and Wormmon devoted their attention to devouring their food.

"Davis seems to be doing a lot better," Wormmon commented softly so that only Veemon could hear him.

"Yeah," Veemon nodded. "He's a long way from recoverin' though."

Wormmon nodded.

"Ken took a while to get back on his feet too after he stopped being the Digimon Emperor, but I don't think Davis will take as long. He's pretty strong for a human."

"Yup," Veemon grinned. "He ish my partner after all."

Wormmon smiled back before glancing at the two humans.

"What do you think happened to him? Has he told you what's wrong?"

"No," Veemon sighed. "I don' know what it could be that's botherin him. Davish has always been so strong."

"Well…" Wormmon pondered. "He was possessed by Netamashiimon's clone and Netamashiimon is the Zaigou of Envy… Is there someone that Davis could be jealous or envious of?"

Automatically both Digimon glanced over at T.K. and Kari where they were eating their dinner with Koji and Koichi nearby.

Slowly Veemon began to shake his head.

"No," he sighed. "I don't think he's jealous of T.K. anymore. He'd seen their relationship comin for half a year before they finally got ta-gether. He an' T.K. have become good friends now too. Davish gets along with T.K. now almost as much as he does with Ken."

Wormmon nodded slowly.

"Even so," he said softly, "just because he accepts it, doesn't mean that he likes it. He could still be harboring feelings for Kari."

Veemon thought about that for a moment. Wormmon did have a point, but at the same time, for some unknown reason, he just knew that T.K. and Kari's relationship wasn't what was bothering his human partner. Maybe it was _part_ of what was bothering Davis, but Davis wasn't as shallow and self-absorbed as he had been when they'd first met. Becoming a DigiDestined changed all chosen children for the better and Davis was no exception. But what did Veemon know? Before arriving in this Digital World, he hadn't seen Davis in over a month. A month is more than enough time to change a person. Had something happened to Davis that he was unaware of? He hadn't noticed anything peculiar about Davis when they'd been reunited… or had he? Now that he was thinking back he realized that Davis hadn't been as… energetic and spontaneous as he had been before. He appeared to be calmer, more rational, yet still willing to face things head on, which was probably why Veemon hadn't noticed until now.

"Veemon?"

Veemon snapped out of his train of thought and looked back at Wormmon who was looking at him curiously.

"What's wrong?" the caterpillar-looking Digimon asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Nothin," Veemon sighed, looking at Davis.

The two Digimon decided to move on to a less depressing topic and continued to chat until it was time to sleep. Davis wasn't given a shift that night for guard duty, but late into the night Veemon felt the boy stir beside him. Forcing himself awake, Veemon sat up and studied the human. Davis was staring up at the stars with one arm, his left to be exact, draped over his forehead.

"Davish?" Veemon whispered. "Ish somethin' wrong?"

Davis didn't reply, continuing to stare up at the skies. It was silent for another moment before he finally did reply.

"…I'm sorry Veemon," he whispered. "I've been a real jerk lately, haven't I?"

"Huh?" Veemon blinked.

"I've worried you," Davis sighed. "I don't mean to. I guess I've just been out of it after all that's happened. I let Netamashiimon's clone get to me, I tried to kill Takuya and Cody, and now I'm causing you to worry. Can I do anything right anymore?"

"…I wouldn' worry so much if I knew what was botherin' ya," Veemon said hesitantly, wondering if he was being a little too straightforward.

Davis sighed, closing his eyes.

"…Ish it T.K. and Kari?" Veemon ventured.

Davis snorted. "That ship sailed long ago. …Or at least I'd like to think it did. I don't mind them going out anymore. T.K.'s a good guy. He and Kari are perfect for each other, as much as I hate to admit it."

"So ya still love Kari," Veemon stated.

"…Yeah," Davis admitted. "But that's not what's been bothering me. I've been getting over her. …Trying to at least."

"Then what _ish_ botherin ya?" Veemon asked, trying not to let his impatience show.

Davis was silent for another long moment and Veemon thought that he wasn't going to get an answer that night until Davis let out another long sigh.

"A few weeks before we came to this world… before the DigiDestined reunion… a girl, Nami, asked me if I would like to go see a movie with her some time," Davis started. "I said that I'd love to and we went that weekend. We had a good time. We started dating unofficially and went out a few times afterwards. I liked her. I really did. …"

"…But?" Veemon pressed when Davis stopped.

"…But… during one date we ran into Kari and T.K. We were eating at the same restaurant and happened to be sitting in booths situated next to each other on opposite sides of a divider. Kari knew Nami so they lowered the divider and the struck up a conversation while T.K. and I watched a sports game on one of the TVs. …When we left, it wasn't until I saw Nami and Kari standing next to each other that I realized how… similar they were."

Veemon was quiet, now that he was catching on to what Davis was getting at.

"Nami really did look a lot like Kari," Davis said softly. "Same hair and eye color, similar body types, nearly identical smiles… and that was just looks. After I gave it some thought, I realized that she had a lot of the same personality traits that Kari has as well. …A couple days later after I broke it off with Nami. After seeing how much she reminded me of Kari, I realized that it just wouldn't be fair to continue seeing her. It wouldn't have been right to keep seeing her once I realized that she was acting as Kari's replacement... a Kari that chose me over T.K. But what killed me the most about ending the relationship… was the fact that she didn't seem to mind breaking it off at all. In fact a week later she was dating someone else. Ironically a tall blond guy like T.K."

"…So… you're upset because this girl reminded ya of Kari?" Veemon asked, trying to understand what Davis was telling him.

"No," Davis sighed, shaking his head. "I'm upset because it wasn't the first time that this had happened. I seem to compare every girl I see to Kari. Whether it's her appearance or her personality, I always find _something_ that reminds me of Kari or think if she _were_ Kari she'd say this or do that. …I'm so sick that I can't get Kari out of my head no matter how much I try or how much I accept the fact that she's with T.K."

Davis was crying now, his voice barely audible in the silent night. Veemon rested one of his clawed hands on Davis's shoulder.

"What about Netamashiimon?" Veemon asked softly. "What was his clone doin' ta ya?"

"He kept mocking me and telling me how pathetic I am," Davis said softly. "He tried to talk me into killing T.K. a couple of times by telling me that if T.K. were out of the way then I could finally have Kari. I knew that that was bull though so I resisted… but that didn't stop him from possessing me in his attempt to kill Takuya and Cody…"

Veemon was silent as he listened. He waited for Davis to continue but when he looked back down at his human partner, he found that Davis had fallen asleep, a trail of tears trailing down his cheeks glistening in the moonlight overhead.

* * *

Poor Davis. At least now he's on the road to recovery! But can he make a full recovery? Will Veemon be able to help him? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

So? How did Veemon's lisp turn out? Was the chapter worth the wait? Can you all forgive me for taking so long to update? These are all questions going through my mind right now. Well at least I got this out on Easter so consider this my Easter gift to all you wonderful readers! I'm not sure who I'll use next to have the next chapter's POV in. If you guys have any ideas, please mention it in your review. I will not be able to update either of my stories for at least another week due to my (shudders) finals coming up and I need to take the time to study for those, but in two weeks I'm free and can start my summer vacation! Hopefully I'll be able to update on a more regular basis again (unless I contract another damned cursed case of writers block)

I have also posted a new trailer on youtube. If you all type in "The Ultimate Gathering of the DigiDestined" on youtube, you'll find my teaser and theatrical trailers. The new one is the theatrical trailer. I'd love it if you guys checked that out as well and let me know what you think. I'll see you all next time and hope that it won't take me near a month to do it this time.

I'M SO SORRY!


	38. Kari's Worries

Hey! Sorry for the wait. I'm suffering from a major relapse of writers block. At least you didn't have to wait for a month this time! :)

I don't know how many of you knew about the Ultimate Digimon fan contest that was going on on youtube, but I entered this fan fic as my entry and guess what? ...I WON! This is now an award winning fic! Woo hoo! XD I am the Ultimate Digimon fan! ... is that something to be proud of at age 19? XD

Anyway, if you haven't guessed already this is a Kari chapter. It turned out a little angsty, but I think that's ok. You guys'll have to tell me what you think. I have to apologize for the chapter being shorter than usual. Writers block is not being kind to me and my muses have failed to give me proper insight for this chapter. Hopefully I'll recover from this bout of writers of block soon and go back to updating every few days.

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, AND FRONTIER OR THEIR CHARACTERS!

I DID WIN THE FAN CONTEST THOU! XD ENJOY!

* * *

Chapter 38: Kari's Worries

The Digital World: Location: The Eastern Mountain Pass

Kari woke up with a start, her heart racing in her chest, but could not recall the dream that had frightened her awake. It was late at night, but it was not yet time for her to start her watch shift with Koji, Rika, and Matt. If she listened carefully, she could hear Tai, Takuya, Takato, Willace and their Digimon as they continued patrolling around the camp. She let out a soft sigh and snuggled deeper into her boyfriend's chest. She felt T.K.'s arms tighten their grip around her instinctively as he slept. This brought a smile to her lips.

Kari had been afraid that he'd been distancing himself from her as he grew closer to Koichi. It hadn't bothered her that much at first because she'd come to like the shy boy of Darkness after her rather embarrassing misunderstanding the first night that they'd spent outside of the strange maze of tunnels they'd started out in. She'd been really happy to see that T.K. was finally giving him a chance, but as the two grew closer T.K. began to spend more time with Koichi than her. She hated to admit it, but after their reunion in Netsusa City Kari had become a little jealous of the Dark Warrior when he and T.K. began to pair up for watch shifts and other menial tasks that T.K. had previously done with her.

Of course she'd brought this up during one of her girl talks with Yolei, Sora and Mimi, seeking advice, but that conversation proved to be the opposite of helpful. Mimi and Yolei had suggested that maybe T.K. was secretly gay and had developed a thing for Koichi. Sora was on Kari's side though and had fiercely scolded the two gossipers for how absurd that idea was. Kari had known that it was only a bad joke meant to lighten the mood, but some part of her must have taken it seriously because every time after that when she spotted T.K. and Koichi together she began to unconsciously search for any indicators that either of them might be gay. When she finally realized what she was doing she felt completely ridiculous and ashamed. Was this how well she trusted T.K? She quickly banished all of those ridiculous thoughts from her mind about T.K. and Koichi being romantically involved. Once she'd recovered her senses she found the idea completely absurd like Sora had. She'd known T.K. for years and they'd been close friends before they'd started dating. She would have known ages ago if T.K. were gay. Kari was no longer jealous of Koichi, but there was the naggingly uncomfortable fact that the two boys were extremely close to Mai, who _was_ girl and a beautiful one at that.

Now there was a person whom she had mixed, rollercoaster-like feelings towards. She had resented Mai at first for what she'd done to Tai as Paressemon, but she'd begun to forgive her after she saw that her brother had already forgiven the beautiful red-head and had become her friend. Kari had always admired that about Tai. Even though she'd known him her whole life, he still managed to surprise her with how quickly or easily he could forgive someone. It was Tai's unconditional trust and belief in others that made her strive to better herself even though everyone thought that she was already perfect. She was the Child of Light who could do no wrong in other people's eyes, but in truth she felt far from perfect. She was human after all. And so was Koji who was the _Warrior_ of Light. Everyone seemed to notice his shortcomings and mistakes, so wasn't only reasonable that she had a few flaws of her own? Koji seemed to be the only one other than T.K. and Tai who ever noticed any of her shortcomings, but then again the two DigiDestined of Light had been spending a lot of time together now that his brother and her boyfriend were best friends.

Not many people were comfortable around the rather anti-social and often cold Warrior, but Kari felt an odd sort of kinship with Koji. They were equally possessive of their loved ones. She had been relieved to find out that she wasn't the only one who had continued to dislike the idea of T.K. and Koichi being so close to Mai. Koji was only being cautious though, like always, while Kari's concern had stemmed from jealousy towards the redheaded beauty. But that spark of jealousy had been doused the other night after she had over heard Mimi tease Mai about having a crush on Tai. Now that had been a shocker. Kari wasn't sure how to feel about that. She was relieved that Mai had no interest in T.K., but at the same time she was concerned for her brother. So after a lot of thought, Kari finally came to the conclusion that the best thing for her to do was to keep an open mind about the former Zaigou. She didn't dislike Mai, but she didn't have to like her at the moment either. Being neutral was always the best position to hold in such matters.

"…Kari?"

Rousing herself from her wandering thoughts, Kari slowly and carefully untangled herself from T.K.'s hold, trying not to disturb him more then necessary, and looked up. It was Tai. How long had she been lost in thought?

"Time for your shift to start sis," Tai whispered, helping her up.

Kari nodded and, after waking Gatomon, wordlessly headed towards the center of camp where Koji, Rika and Matt were waiting for her with their Digimon.

"Hey," Matt yawned while Rika and Koji nodded their heads towards her in acknowledgement.

"Hey," Kari smiled, standing opposite of Matt while Gatomon jumped up to perch on her shoulder as the cat Digimon usually did.

Gabumon was yawning softly at Matt's side as he shook the sleepiness from his eyes, but managed to give Kari and Gatomon a drowsy wave. Renamon, like her Tamer, gave the two new comers a nod from her position behind Rika in the shadows.

"Right," Matt sighed once the wordless greetings were exchanged between humans and Digimon. "Koji and I'll patrol the front half of camp while Rika and Kari patrol the back. You guys know the drill."

The three younger DigiDestined nodded in agreement and went off into their assigned pairs. To be honest, Kari was a little surprised that Matt had voluntarily paired himself with Koji. She'd been one of the few who had noticed the older boy's unease around Koji during their trek through the tunnels to Netsusa, but lately it appeared that the two were starting to get along. Maybe it was because Koji was a little more stable now that he had his brother and his best friend back, but Kari had a theory that it was more because of what Izzi had said about the strong possibility that the two lone wolves would be bonded together like Tai and Takuya had been.

"Anyone in there?"

Kari nearly started, making Rika offer up an amused chuckle.

"It is rather weird," the fiery redheaded Tamer mused as if she could read Kari's mind. "I'd thought that I might have to put up with Koji for our watch shift tonight."

Kari blinked.

Rika raised an eyebrow, her piercing lavender eyes digging into Kari's reddish-brown ones.

"Uh," Kari stuttered, trying to collect her thoughts. Rika had this uncanny way of making her feel uneasy. She was quite intimidating even without catching Kari off guard.

"I suppose you're right," Kari said slowly. "Although honestly I'd thought Matt was going to pair me up with Koji since the I get along better with him than he does."

Rika snorted.

"It is rather interesting," Renamon spoke up from the shadows behind them. "Matt hasn't hidden his discomfort about being around Koji all that well."

"Matt wasn't the only one who felt uneasy around Koji during that time," Gatomon retorted from her position on Kari's shoulder, defending the DigiDestined of Friendship.

"Koji was a little hard to be around after Koichi and T.K. were taken by Paressemon," Kari added softly, unconsciously throwing a glance towards Mai's sleeping form with Sora and Mimi.

"I suppose that coupled with the strain of developing in his newfound powers as a psychic wasn't helping his mental stability either," Rika mused. "But whatever. The guy's not much of an issue anymore. I'm more concerned about your friend Davis."

"What?" Kari gaped. Where had this come from?

"Are you blind?" Rika scowled. "Or are you really so naïve to believe that that guy is fine now that he's smiling again?"

Kari frowned. Davis had appeared to revert back to his usual self after the battle with the Golemon that afternoon. What had Rika seen that made her think differently? Kari was Davis's friend after all. She knew Davis a lot better than Rika.

"Oh Please," Rika scoffed. "You don't know your friend at all do you?"

That made Kari mad. She'd known Davis for four years and Rika had only known him for the couple of weeks that they'd spent in this world. What did Rika know about Davis?

"And you do?" Kari retorted softly, a hint of anger hidden in her tone, telling Rika that she'd better drop the matter.

"No," Rika frowned, "but apparently I know him a lot better then you, and I've hardly spoken to the guy."

Kari clenched her hands into fists, reigning in her anger. Now was not the time to start a fight. They were supposed to be patrolling camp for signs of the enemy. As if reading Kari's mind again, Rika's eyes carefully swept around the camp before focusing on her once more.

"Look," Rika huffed softly, her voice also dangerously low. "I'm not trying to pick a fight with you, Miss Righteous, especially since I've never been good with these friendship matters, but you _will_ listen and listen good. I'm not going to pretend to know Davis, because I don't know or care two licks about him. To me he's just another annoying goggle-head like Takato. But I do know when someone's lonely. I'm no stranger to that emotion myself."

Kari blinked.

"You think Davis is lonely?" Kari frowned. Even Gatomon was looking at the Tamer incredulously.

"It is possible to be surrounded by others, friends even, and still feel lonely," Rika scowled defensively. "You're just so wrapped up in your boy friend that you see only what Davis wants you to see. Like I said, I don't know Davis personally, but I've noticed that he's surprisingly good at keeping unwanted emotions submerged. I've seen the way he looks at you when you walk past him. He likes you, but I'm sure you were already aware of that."

Kari flushed.

"It's almost painful to watch," Rika whispered, a touch of sympathy mixing in her voice now. "He tries so hard to smile around you and be friends with T.K. to prove to everyone that he's alright with your relationship."

"He _is_ alright with my relationship with T.K." Kari said coldly. "He saw it coming for an entire year before we became official."

"Just because he's accepted it doesn't mean he's alright with it," Rika glared.

The two of them had stopped walking now and been stationary for the last three minutes. Kari opened her mouth to say something, but a voice from a few feet away from the shadows that they were standing in made her stop, drawing her gaze away from Rika.

"Davish? Ish somethin' wrong?"

Kari recognized Veemon's lisp and automatically listened, Gatomon, Rika and Renamon doing the same, their gazes intent on the resting figure of Davis and Veemon.

Davis didn't reply at first so it was silent for another moment.

"…I'm sorry Veemon," he whispered. "I've been a real jerk lately, haven't I?"

"Huh?" Veemon's voice gaped.

"I've worried you," Davis sighed. "I don't mean to. I guess I've just been out of it after all that's happened. I let Netamashiimon's clone get to me, I tried to kill Takuya and Cody, and now I'm causing you to worry. Can I do anything right anymore?"

"…I wouldn' worry so much if I knew what was botherin' ya," Veemon said hesitantly.

Kari waited, tensing slightly.

Davis only sighed in answer.

"…Ish it T.K. and Kari?" Veemon ventured.

Air seemed to get caught in Kari's lungs as she waited for the answer, dimly aware of Gatomon nuzzling her cheek in an attempt to comfort her.

"That ship sailed long ago," Davis snorted, making relief spread through her until he continued. "…Or at least I'd like to think it did. I don't mind them going out anymore. T.K.'s a good guy. He and Kari are perfect for each other, as much as I hate to admit it."

"So ya still love Kari," Veemon stated, much to Kari's irritation. Could they get off her and move on to the real matter?

"…Yeah," Davis admitted almost too softly for them to hear. "But that's not what's been bothering me. I've been getting over her. …Trying to at least."

"Then what _ish_ botherin ya?" Veemon asked, Kari and her group wanting to know the same.

Davis was silent for another long moment and Kari thought that he wasn't going to answer until he let out another long sigh.

"A few weeks before we came to this world… before the DigiDestined reunion… a girl, Nami, asked me if I would like to go see a movie with her some time," Davis started. "I said that I'd love to and we went that weekend. We had a good time. We started dating unofficially and went out a few times afterwards. I liked her. I really did. …"

Kari instantly thought of the girl mentioned. Nami had been Kari's friend for almost as long as Davis had been. The two of them were practically sisters.

"…But?" Veemon pressed when Davis stopped, bringing Kari's attention back to the conversation happening in front of her.

"…But… during one date we ran into Kari and T.K. We were eating at the same restaurant and happened to be sitting in booths situated next to each other on opposite sides of a divider. Kari knew Nami so they lowered the divider and the struck up a conversation while T.K. and I watched a sports game on one of the TVs. …When we left, it wasn't until I saw Nami and Kari standing next to each other that I realized how… similar they were. ...Nami really did look a lot like Kari. Same hair and eye color, similar body types, nearly identical smiles…"

Kari had been aware that she and Nami looked alike. They'd even dressed alike a once a year during their school's spirit week for Twin Day.

"And that was just looks," Davis continued softly. "After I gave it some thought, I realized that she had a lot of the same personality traits that Kari has as well. …A couple days later, I broke it off with Nami. After seeing how much she reminded me of Kari, I realized that it just wouldn't be fair to continue seeing her. It wouldn't have been right to keep seeing her once I realized that she was acting as Kari's replacement... a Kari that chose me over T.K. But what killed me the most about ending the relationship… was the fact that she didn't seem to mind breaking it off at all. In fact a week later she was dating someone else. Ironically, a tall blond guy like T.K."

Kari hadn't known that Nami and Davis had broken up. She'd thought that they were such a cute couple and might actually stick together for a while. Of course she hadn't seen Nami since they'd "double dated" at the restaurant.

"…So… you're upset because this girl reminded ya of Kari?" Veemon asked.

"No," Davis sighed. "I'm upset because it wasn't the first time that this had happened. I seem to compare every girl I see to Kari. Whether it's her appearance or her personality, I always find _something_ that reminds me of Kari or think if she _were_ Kari she'd say this or do that. …I'm so sick that I can't get Kari out of my head no matter how much I try or how much I accept the fact that she's with T.K."

Davis was crying now, his voice barely audible in the silent night. Kari felt her heart ache as she listened. She wanted to run. She didn't want to hear that it was her fault that Davis was suffering, but her feet remained rooted to the ground.

"What about Netamashiimon?" Veemon asked softly. "What was his clone doin' ta ya?"

Kari took another deep breath as she listened to the answer.

"He kept mocking me and telling me how pathetic I am," Davis said softly. "He tried to talk me into killing T.K. a couple of times by telling me that if T.K. were out of the way then I could finally have Kari. I knew that that was bull though so I resisted… but that didn't stop him from possessing me in his attempt to kill Takuya and Cody…"

Kari waited for Davis to continue but he never did. She saw Veemon lie back down next to his human partner and curl into his side.

"He must be asleep," Rika whispered, resting a hand on Kari's shoulder.

Kari jumped under the sudden contact and whirled around to face Rika, who was looking at her sadly. Rika had been right, but Kari saw that the girl held no pride in that knowledge. How? How had this girl who'd hardly spoken to Davis known that he was hurting? Had Kari been so blind not to notice her friend's pain? The effect she apparently had on him? Kari started to shake, tears coming unbidden to her eyes and trailing down her face.

Rika looked at her apprehensively. The Tamer wasn't good when it came to dealing with crying girls, or crying in general for that matter. She tentatively took a step towards Kari and tightened her grip on Kari's shoulder. Kari then let out a sob, bringing her hands to her face, her shoulders shaking in earnest, making Rika frown. She shot a helpless look over her shoulder at Renamon and the Digimon came to her rescue. The fox Digimon nodded and stood by Kari's other side, resting a hand on the crying girl's back since Gatomon occupied the shoulder.

"It does not do to dwell on matters that are out of your hands, Kari, especially matters you are not supposed to know about," Renamon said in her soft and mature voice.

"But what do I do?" Kari gasped, trying her best to wipe her tears away. "It's all my fault. I never realized that he felt that way. I knew he liked me, but that much? Enough to cause him pain?"

Rika scowled.

"It's not _all_ your fault. The world doesn't revolve around you, you know," she said rather roughly.

Gatomon narrowed her eyes that the redhead.

"Rika," Renamon said softly.

"I should have noticed," Kari cried, "but I was too wrapped up my own little problems. I was too busy thinking about T.K. and Koichi and Mai to see that I was hurting him."

SMACK!

The sound echoed softly around camp, but it wasn't loud enough to wake anyone. Kari gasped and stared wide eyed at the other girl. Gatomon's fur stood on end, a low snarl rumbling in her throat, while Renamon simply looked on her Tamer, eyes widening only a fraction, but enough to betray the small start of surprise she felt towards Rika's actions.

"Get a grip Kamiya!" Rika growled, the hand she'd slapped Kari with balling into an angry fist. "Just how many friends do you have here? Hmm? Last I checked there were fifty-seven of us; thirty-one humans, twenty-five Digimon. And even assuming you're good friends with at least half of them, I can't see how you could possibly notice every little problem with them all. So you didn't realize Davis's feelings until now, big deal. Are you telling me that you're going to break up with T.K. just to make him happy? Huh? Well even if you did, then T.K. would be sad, so it's a lose-lose situation no matter how you look at it. You're not perfect Kari, so stop trying so hard to be!"

Kari blinked at Rika.

"…You're right," Kari sighed, a small smile forming on her lips. "Thanks Rika. I needed to hear that."

Rika let out a heavy sigh as well, offering Kari her own rare smile.

"Anytime," she shrugged. "Just don't give the matter too much thought. There is nothing either of us can do about Davis right now except be his friend. That's all he really needs right now. I don't think his Digimon is quite capable of handling it on his own."

Kari nodded and they began to resume their patrol around camp.

* * *

How's Kari going to handle this new revelation? Will Davis find the strength to recover on his own or will he need help? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

Wow... Shortest chapter ever for this story... but Yay! I managed to fit Rika in here! I like Rika. She is my favorite Tamer by far, with Henry and Ryo running her a close second and third (Ha! I laugh at those of you who thought I hated tamers). This was my sad attempt to try to integrate some more Tamer action into the story other than just mentioning their presence. Renamon even got her two cense in. XD

I've found that I suck at writing Kari's character, but hopefully this chapter didn't come out too bad even though it's nothing but a load of fluff (I am perfectly and depressingly aware that there was no movement in the plot whatsoever!) TT . TT

I hope you enjoyed this chapter at any rate and if you didn't I TOTALLY BLAME IT ALL ON THE WRITERS BLOCK! SO DON'T SHOOT THE WRITER! ...please review...

WARNING! I am going back and fixing the previous chapters now, so if you spotted any mistakes please let me know! I'm mostly going to be adding in Veemon's lisp, fixing spelling mistakes i missed the first time around and seeing if there's anything I can do to fix the lack of Tamers presence (especially their use of cards). Note that anything that I may add to the previous chapters will not ultimately effect what happens in future chapters, although it may be wise to reread my fic anyway just for the fun of it and to be on the safe side. ^_^


	39. Quotes and Scares

Yay! Sorry for the wait, but here is chapter 39! On top of my relapse in writers block, I all too recently succombed to a really bad head cold and (as I hope everyone is aware of) a cold can turn out to be a highly distracting thing when coupled with a short attention span, fickle muses, and the irresistible lure of really good fan fiction. It came with a headache as well and who wants to look at tiny little black print when your head is throbbing and is begging you for a simpler more mind numbing task to perform (like watching TV and movies). But I pressed on, shut myself in my room, and here we are with chapter 39! Please Read, Review, and Enjoy!

I have also posted a new poll on my profile page, so if you haven't already participated, please do so! I am also going to be posting some polls on my facebook page since I can only hold one poll at a time on this site, so please participate in those as well if you have the time and nothing better to do while waiting for my inconsistent updates! :P

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 39: Quotes and Scares

The Digital World: Location: Kushyamon's Lair

"They are in the mountain pass on their way to Shinrin, my lord," Crusademon bowed. "The Golemon were able to relay that much before the DigiDestined took them out. I estimate that the DigiDestined are one more day's worth of traveling away from the Wind City."

The Dark Lord nodded, staring absently to the East.

"How do you wish to proceed my lord?" Arukenimon's silky voice filtered in from the shadows.

"…Now that Lucemon is lost to us, Lust is dead, and Sloth has turned on usss…" Kushyamon hissed in his multi-toned voice, "we need the child of Darkness now more then ever."

"With all due respect, my lord," Crusademon bowed. "I think obtaining Dark could be a problem at this current point in time."

He waited until his master gave the sign for him to continue.

"Ever since Dark was held by Paressemon and returned to the DigiDestined, he's never been alone. Light and Hope stick to his side like sludge on a Numemon."

"Then what would you suggest, Crusademon?" Arukenimon sneered.

"I suggest that we go after a weaker, but still usable target in the meantime while we wait for an opportunity to grab Dark," Crusademon answered emotionlessly. "One that the DigiDestined won't suspect as easily."

Kushyamon paused and actually looked over his shoulder at the dark knight Digimon kneeling before him.

"Who did you have in mind?"

Crusademon smiled beneath his black visor and told his Dark Lord. Lord Kushyamon returned the malicious smile. Even Arukenimon had to admit that the target was a sound one.

"That is very good, Crusademon… Very good indeed," Kushyamon mused. "Arukenimon!"

"My Lord?" Arukenimon bowed.

"Inform Pride of his new target," the Dark Lord ordered. "Have him take his little pet with him as well…"

Arukenimon bowed even deeper before turning on her heel, retreating even deeper into the shadows.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: The Eastern Mountain Pass

Ryo reclined against the cliff face as he stood guard during the last shift of the watch. He and Monodramon were on duty with Ken and Wormmon, Izzi and Tentomon, and J.P. J.P., Izzi and Tentomon were on the other side of the camp and Ken and Wormmon were standing beside Ryo as the first rays of the morning sun peeked up over the mountain peeks.

"The sun is red," Wormmon noted. "That's a pretty shade."

"A red sun rises," Ken mused. "Blood has been spilled this night."

Ryo raised an eyebrow at him, getting nothing but a grin from the raven-haired genius.

"What?" Ken smirked. "Don't they have _Lord of the Rings_ back in your home world, Ryo?"

"They do," Ryo nodded. "It's just that that was a little ominous, even for a quote, considering out situation."

"I suppose." Ken chuckled softly. "But it seemed appropriate in my mind before I spoke it aloud."

Ryo quirked a smile as well and the two friends watched the crimson sun rise over the mountain ridges. Within the next hour the other DigiDestined started to wake up as well. Half an hour after that, Tai had them on the move again with assurances from Takuya, Mai and Izzi that Shinrin City wasn't that far away now. Ryo decided to travel alongside Ken, Davis and their Digimon in the middle of the pack for the day, in order to avoid getting his ears talked off my Kenta and Kazu again. Ryo didn't speak much, but he observed how tired Davis seemed to be and offered to have Monodramon Digivolve to Cyberdramon so that he could carry their packs. Ken must have noticed as well, because he shot Ryo a grateful glance. It was short lived however because Davis frowned at Ryo's offer and waved it aside.

"I'm fine," the goggle head replied curtly. "Besides, if you have Monodramon digivolve simply just to carry our packs, you'll panic the others for nothing. We shouldn't have the Digimon digivolve unless it is absolutely necessary."

Ken and Ryo exchanged bewildered looks, and Wormmon and Monodramon simply looked lost over the course of the short conversation, but Veemon smiled up at his human partner proudly. Davis had been surprisingly logical in that moment. If Ken hadn't heard Davis speak with his own ears, he wouldn't have believed what his best friend had said. Where had this sprung up from? Ryo, on the other hand, was thoroughly amused by Ken's shock at Davis's clever insight. For a genius, Ryo was surprised that Ken still hadn't figured out that Davis was pretty smart in spite of his goofy persona. Ryo figured that it was intentional on Davis's part.

"You're right," the Tamer nodded. "If Monodramon were to suddenly digivolve then everyone would assume that we were under attack again."

Davis eyed him wearily as if wondering if Ryo was mocking him, but there was no sign of it on the Tamer's face. Ryo offered Davis a smile, so the goggle head returned it with a small one of his own. This exchange did not go unnoticed, however.

"Smooth Ryo," someone whispered to the oldest Tamer while passing him.

Ryo frowned and watched Rika and Renamon's backs as they joined Kari, Gatomon and a surprised looking T.K. and Patamon.

"I didn't know Kari and Rika were friends," Ken blinked. "And apparently neither did T.K."

"…Me neither," Ryo muttered. "Kari's not the type Rika usually hangs out with."

"You know her _type_?"

Ryo started and raised an eyebrow at a smirking Davis.

"I do," Ryo nodded, keeping a straight face, tilting his head up in a superior fashion.

Davis snorted and Ken grinned. Their poor Digimon partners had no idea what was going on so they simply shrugged and continued on in front of their humans, starting their own conversation.

"Really?" Ken chuckled. "Pray tell."

"Rika's not one to tolerate the whole goody-two-shoes bit," Ryo frowned. "At least, not most of the time. She has her moments, but she's usually one to act first and talk later, if you know what I mean. To her, actions speak louder than words. Words are meaningless to her unless you can act on them and are prepared to back them up."

"In other words you better put your money where your mouth is," Davis grinned, liking the sound of Rika's principles.

"So all talk and no action doesn't fly with her, huh?" Ken mused.

"Yup. According to the others, that's why it took her so long to team up with Henry and Takato, back when they were the only Tamer DigiDestined," Ryo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Henry and Takato aren't ones to dive head long into a fight like she is unless they have to. She respects Henry though because he thinks things all the way through before acting, but a lot of the time he takes too long for her taste."

Ryo smiled, looking over at Rika who was now alone with Kari and Gatomon and seemed to be lecturing them about something.

"Believe it or not, Rika is actually very cautious and thinks before acting. Unlike Henry and Takato, Rika is used to making snap decisions. She comes off as rash, but she's actually pretty level headed."

"Except when she's around you it seems," Davis mused, a smile tugging at his lips. "You appear to tick her off very easily. In fact, is it safe to say that your very presence sets her on edge?"

Ryo sighed and shrugged.

"She just doesn't like me I guess."

Ken and Davis shared a conspiratorial glance.

"But _you_ like _her_," Ken hummed, as he and Davis walked past a stunned Ryo.

Davis snickered, making Ryo flush indignantly.

"Don't deny it," Davis smirked. "It's obvious that you have a thing for her. I mean, you call her 'Princess' all the time, especially when you tease her. You're always looking out for her in a battle, you pick fights with her just to be near her, and you look at her in a particular way."

Ken eyed Davis with stunned amazement. Ryo figured from Ken's reaction that Davis didn't usually show him or the others this degree of his insight.

"And what way is that?" Ryo snapped, trying not to blush.

Davis's grin dropped a couple of degrees and an eerily knowing look entered those dark chocolate eyes.

"It's the same look that I often give Kari when I think no one's looking," Davis said sadly, turning away from Ryo and Ken and walked off on his own with a concerned Veemon at his heels.

"Kari?" Ryo repeated, stunned, glancing at the girl DigiDestined of Light who was still being lectured and/or scolded by Rika for something Ryo was sure he didn't want to know about.

Ken let out a depressed sigh as they both watched Davis and Veemon walk on their own for a while before being joined by Takato, Henry, and their Digimon. Apparently others were trying to make more of an effort and reach out to Davis after his all too recent possession, especially those he'd grown close to before Netamashiimon had messed with his head.

"So Davis still has feelings for Kari," the goggle head's best friend sighed.

Ryo blinked, suddenly feeling really bad for the other boy as Ken briefly explained in a low voice about Davis's predicament and his feelings towards Kari. To say that Ryo was a little shocked would be an understatement. Davis had seemed to be such a carefree soul. It was hard to imagine anything bringing him down.

"I thought that Davis had moved on after Kari and T.K. became an official couple," Ken muttered. "He went out with some other girls and Yolei and I even went on a double date once with him and the girlfriend he had at the time."

Ryo sent Ken a curious glance. He'd known that Ken and Yolei were together, but this was the first time that Ken had openly confirmed the relationship. But this conversation wasn't about Ken and Yolei. This was about Davis.

Ryo looked ahead of him and watch their Digimon for a moment as he took in all that Ken had dared to tell him about Davis. Wormmon and Monodramon had, thankfully, stayed out of the conversation so they were a few feet ahead of their humans as they discussed more cheerful topics. Ryo had to admit to himself that he had grown rather fond of the younger of the two Adventurer DigiDestined goggle heads. Before Netamashiimon had possessed Davis, Ryo had spent a lot of time around him since they were both friends of Ken. They had become fast friends themselves since they shared a lot in common.

"Hey Ryo!"

Ryo groaned internally, but forced a smile on his face as Kazu and Kenta joined them. Guardromon waddled behind them trying to keep up with the two younger boys while Marineangemon zoomed in excited circles above his head.

"Hey man!" Kazu grinned. "What's shaking?"

Kenta was too winded to speak at the moment so he simply waved a greeting.

Ken was looking at the two boys and Ryo's barely contained irritation with mild amusement. Their conversation about Davis was held off and was changed to a more meaningless discussion as Kenta and Kazu tried to teach Ken more about the Digimon trading card game that was popular in their world. They'd been attempting to do this for a while now with Ryo throwing in his two bits every now and again, but Ryo was sure that at this point in time Ken knew how to play the card game even better than the two who were supposedly teaching it to him.

As he let his thoughts wander, Ryo began to think about the trading card's purpose outside of the game. He was actually surprised that none of the other DigiDestined had bothered to ask why all of the Tamers had a deck of these cards on them to begin with. After all, even the little kids Suzie, Ai and Mako had their own decks. None of the Tamers bothered to try using their Modify cards anymore, but Ryo knew that some of them – namely Rika – still tried to swipe a card every now and then to help their Digimon partners in a battle, but nothing ever happened even after they'd left that strange labyrinth of tunnels that they'd been in when they first arrived in this world. The D-Powers still enabled their Digimon to digivolve to the Champion level, as well as those few who were capable of digivolving to Ultimate without the use of a blue card or Calumon's presence, but now things were getting more dangerous and, for the life of him, Ryo just couldn't figure out why their D-Power digivices wouldn't activate the cards.

"Helloooo! Anyone in there?"

Ryo jerked back to avoid getting wacked in the face by Kazu's waving hand.

"Dude!" Kazu frowned. "What's on your mind? You were totally out of it."

Ryo considered not telling them, but caught Ken's curious gaze. With a sigh, he opened his mouth to answer Kazu's question when he heard something that made him pause. It was a soft yet high pitched whistling sound. It was familiar to Ryo and he was trying to identify the sound when a large blast exploded behind them with a concussive boom that forced him and all of the other DigiDestined to the ground.

"What was that?" Kenta cried as he struggled back up on to his feet, Marineangemon whizzing around his head in a mixture of panic, excitement and concern. Others around them were echoing Kenta's startled cry, some with a much more colorful choice of words.

"Oww," Kazu groaned, sitting up. "Guardromon? What happened?"

"It would appear that a missile impacted half a mile behind us with the force of twenty Digi-tons," the robot Digimon beeped as he tried to right himself, but his round body was making the action rather difficult.

Ryo regained his own footing and tried to help the poor Digimon up along with Ken, Kazu, and a few of the other DigiDestined who were near by. When Guardromon was upright again, the instincts that Ryo had developed while spending that one hazy year alone with Cyberdramon in the Digital World kicked in and he quickly took in the situation. All was quiet now and the dust that was thrown up from the explosion began to settle, but there was no sign of an enemy. Regardless, some of the Digimon had Digivolved. Tai was standing by a battle ready Wargreymon, Takato was looking around nervously beside a tall and menacing looking Growlmon, and Rika was standing with Kari and a tense Gatomon behind an on edge Kyubimon. A few nerve-wracking moments slowly ticked by, but no enemy made itself known and neither Guardromon nor Izzi detected any unusual readings.

"Weird," Ryo heard Yolei whisper as she approached from behind and held onto Ken's arm tightly. Her partner Hawkmon was still on guard, his sharp eyes darting along trying to locate any disturbance.

"Alright guys, lets move on!" Tai called from up ahead, shaking most of the other DigiDestined out of their shocked dazes. Things seemed to become more relaxed again, but Ryo and a few others were still on edge.

"How can Tai keep it together like that?" Kenta was whispering angrily with a hint of awe. "We were nearly blown up and he's acting like nothing happened!"

"Not true," Ryo muttered, correcting the younger Tamer. "He's on his guard now and hasn't allowed Wargreymon to dedigivolve."

Ken nodded, Wormmon now perched on his shoulder, rigid antenna feelers twitching every now and then. Yolei had rejoined her little group with Sora, Mimi and Mai, so the boys were free to talk.

"Hey guys, Rika looks like something's been shoved up her ass again," Kazu noted.

Ryo raised an eyebrow at the statement, but couldn't stop himself from glancing over at Rika. Her back was straight and her head was held high, but her posture was just too rigid next the Kyubimon. She wasn't the only one. Takato looked on edge as well and Henry had a grim look on his face as he held little Suzie's hand tightly. Jeri was hovering over Ai and Mako and even Impmon didn't look like he was up to his usual mischief. The DigiDestined from the other groups were in varying degrees of nervousness and paranoia, from the seemingly relaxed Tai to the shifty eyed Koji to jumpy Joe. The only one who seemed to be at complete ease was Takuya. He was walking lightly just half a step behind Tai at the head of their group with his hands clasped behind his head. In fact, he looked almost bored and didn't look the least bit on edge. This sight made Ryo frown. As Kenta had stated, they'd all nearly been blown up and the Warrior of Flame wasn't even rattled.

"Ryo?"

Ryo blinked and looked down at Monodramon, who hadn't left his side since the missile had impacted.

"What?" he asked.

"I don't think that the missile was meant to actually hit us," Monodramon stated.

"What makes you think that?" Kazu snorted. "It's not like we're short on enemies in this world bud, and they aren't afraid to blast us off the face of this rock."

Ryo shot Kazu a look, but the visor-wearing boy didn't notice. Monodramon didn't look at all offended by the comment though so he let it drop.

"Takuya," the purple dino Digimon said simply as an answer.

"What about him?" Kenta asked, blinking.

"Just look at him," Monodramon gestured ahead, his thoughts obviously headed in a similar direction as his Tamer's. "He doesn't look troubled by our close encounter with a missile at all."

"Then the dude's nuts," Kazu frowned.

"…Perhaps, but he's also half Digimon," Monodramon pointed out. "Don't you think he'd be more keyed up if there was a threat nearby?"

Ryo paused for a moment and considered what his partner had pointed out. It was still hard to comprehend that the other boy was half Digimon now. Now that Ryo thought about it, his partner had a point. Digimon were more in tune to things than humans were.

"I think you're right," Ken mused. "He has incredibly heightened senses. We saw as much during the Juédòu when Suzie called out to him over the crowd… Funny how he didn't hear that missile coming."

"But doesn't that medallion he's wearing dull his senses?" Kenta asked.

"Nope!" came a cheerful reply.

Ryo and Ken nearly fell forward tripping over Monodramon and Kenta and Kazu jumped into Guardromon's arms out of shock and surprise with Marineangemon whirling around their heads squealing excitedly. Poor Kenta looked like he was getting whiplash from looking in front of them to behind them rapidly over and over again.

"T-T-Takuya!" Kenta gasped, wheezing.

The Warrior of Flame smiled widely at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear," Ken mused, a smile curling at the corners of his lips now that the shock of Takuya's sudden appearance was wearing off. Ryo threw him an exasperated stare.

"You're just full of those today aren't you?" he scowled. "First that quote about a red sun, now the devil. Honestly! Who are you? Koji and Koichi's triplet?"

Ken didn't even try to hide his grin now, making Takuya laugh.

"Anything's possible I suppose," the Fire Warrior snickered. "He's certainly got the same hair color. Eyes are a bit different, but with tinted contacts, they could be made a darker shade to match. Cut his hair a little bit and we could make him look just like Koichi."

"No way," Ken chuckled, shaking his head. "I like the way I look thanks."

Takuya thumped him on the back, his smile widening.

"So what's up?" he asked, obviously feigning ignorance to that knowledge.

Ryo shook his head, a small smile of his own forming. Takuya's cheer and optimism appeared to be contagious.

"We were just talking about that missile," Kenta answered truthfully as they resumed their walk again.

"Ah," Takuya sighed, shaking his head. "You'd think that they'd aim a little further away. They could have actually hurt us."

"Who?" Kazu demanded.

"The guardian Digimon of Shinrin," Takuya huffed, throwing his hands back behind his head again. "A couple of Jetakumon were flying overhead, before Izzi and Guardromon could detect them. Not that it would matter. They had cloaking devices that could easily trick simple scanners."

"I've never heard of that Digimon before," Kazu frowned.

Every DigiDestined was keenly listening in on this conversation now, unconsciously drawing closer to the middle group. Izzi was already typing away at his laptop to look up the Digimon Takuya had spoken of.

"Jetakumon are flying machine type Digimon that are believed to only exist in this particular digital world. At least, according to Agunimon's recollections anyways," the brunette shrugged. "As I said, they are the guardians of the outer borderlands of Shinrin City. I met one of them once just before we left Netsusa. Lord Suzakumon was sending him ahead of us to inform Lord Seiryuu of our arrival."

"If they're good guys then why'd they launch a missile at us?" Kazu huffed indignantly, glaring up at the sky as if he could see the offending Digimon.

Takuya snickered before letting out a sigh.

"Apparently we appeared to be too complacent," the Fire Warrior mused. "That agitated them a bit, so they decided to scare us a little to get the lead out of our pants. I suppose you could say that we haven't made the best first impression on them. The Jetakumon are proud hard working Digimon and are the driving force that keeps these mountains safe to it's citizens and a danger to it's enemies, even the Zaigou. It is the only securely holdable defensive spot in this entire Digital world. …Wouldn't you agree Mai?"

The redhead beauty jumped slightly from her position behind Takuya when all eyes turned to her.

"Uh… yes," she nodded nervously. "As far as I know, any attempts that the Zaigou have made to seize Shinrin City have failed miserably. The Jetakumon are few, but they are fierce Mega level Digimon."

Takuya nodded.

"They don't trust easily either," he mused. "It may be more difficult now to get into the Wind City."

"Why is that?" Ryo frowned.

Takuya turned and faced Ryo, giving him a grim look.

"Because once we reach the end of this pass we will come to a dead end and the only way to reach Shinrin city is to fly," he stated. "Without the Jetakumon's approval, aid and escort, we cannot reach their treasured city. Any attempts on our part to reach the city without their permission will be seen as a hostile act and the Jetakumon will not hesitate to shoot us out of the sky."

Ryo's eyes widened.

"That sound's like a cruel way to run things," Ken mused, his eyes hardening.

"Perhaps," Takuya shrugged, his face still grim. "But it's effective."

"It's the only reason why Shinrin has been able to resist the Zaigou for so long," Mai added. "No approval, no admittance. You fly you die. But once a Digimon has made it into the city, it is believed to be the last safe place in this world. The last truly safe haven free from the destruction and chaos brought on by Kushyamon's reign."

Everyone was now trading concerned looks until Tai's voice brought them back out of their thoughts.

"We've reached the end."

They had just passed over the last slope of the mountain pass and all that stood before them on the other side was a large expanse of cliff wall, too slick and smooth for any climbing attempts to be fruitful.

"What do we do now?" Sora whispered.

Everyone turned to look at either Takuya or Mai. Both of them looked at each other before speaking.

"We wait."

* * *

Will the DigiDestined reach Shinrin City safely? What does Crusademon have planed? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

Yay! They'll (hopefully) make it to Shinrin city next chapter and get the final medallion! Again I apologize for the wait on this chapter, but in my defense, summer has just started, I've been sick and I have had work to do around my family's farm (I am sooo going to be living in an apartment or townhouse with little to no yard when I finally move out).

Ryo was (supposedly) the centralized character POV for this chapter, and I'm thinking about continuing his POV in the next one or maybe switch to Ken now that we're finally getting somewhere after all these damn filler chapters. We hadn't heard from our baddies in a while so I thought that the beginning of this chapter was necessary. Also, just FYI, the Jetakumon are entirely of my own invention, so don't even bother to try looking them up. We have also received a little insight in this chapter as to why the Tamer's modify cards have been absent thus far (many of you have been harping on me for that so I hope that this satisfies you some). Hopefully my muses won't ditch me again next chapter and I hope to post that up next week, but it'll probably be safe to bet on the week after. I got a Drowning Memories chapter to type up now, but thankfully that's already been started.

A fun little note that I'll let you all in on, the quote from Lord of the Rings: Two Towers that Ken recites for Ryo near the beginning of this chapter is a direct result of a long week reading fantastic Lord of the Rings and Chronicles of Narnia cross over fics, and watching the LotR movies. XD I don't know why but I love that quote.

Again, I ask that you all participate in my polls. If you want to access my page (it's the same as any interest/celebrity page run) on facebook just type in Shara Raizel in the finder. i am pretty sure I am the only one that goes by that name. thank you and hope to see and hear from you wonderful readers soon!


	40. Getting Into Shinrin

Oh my gosh I am soooooo sorry! I planed on having this chapter out a week ago! I must defer to the usual excuses: writer's block, flaky muses, work, laziness, ect. To make up for it I made this chapter a little longer than usual, **_however_**! I must insist that you all read the authors note at the end of this chapter. Please review and i pray that you enjoy this long awaited chapter.

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 40: Getting Into Shinrin

The Digital World: Location: The Summit of Shinrin Mountain

Ken reclined against the wall of mountain that abruptly ended the pass that they'd been traveling for the last three to four days. It had been three hours since they'd stopped and waited for the Jetakumon Digimon that Takuya had mentioned. All flying Digimon were grounded and didn't even dare raise a wing to the wind out of fear of what Takuya had told them about the Jetakumon's hostile nature.

"Just how long are we going to have to wait?" Kazu finally complained, shooting an irritated glance at Takuya who was sitting on the ground, leaning against a large bolder with his eyes close.

"For as long as they feel the need to assess how big of a threat we are," Takuya smiled lazily. "We are quite an intimidating force. Just look around. There are thirty humans, twenty-five Digimon, and one Digimon-human hybrid. That makes fifty-six of us altogether. The Jetakumon are highly suspicious Digimon. They will watch us and ascertain whether we are a viable threat to their city. Then they will have to send one of their number back to report us to the city's authorities that will eventually inform Lord Seiryuumon of our arrival. Then a security crew will accompany the one Jetakumon back and inspect us, to make sure we are the real deal and not Zaigou spies. It is only until we've been cleared by security, approved by the Jetakumon, and given approval by Lord Seiryuumon himself that we will be flown up to the top of Shinrin Mountain."

"That seems rather excessive," Sora frowned from beside Matt.

"Oh that's only to _reach_ the city!" Takuya laughed. "We won't be allowed to enter until another security check is run and we've been observed in one of their holding towers for three days."

"Three days?" everyone exclaimed, shocked.

"You will find no tighter security," Takuya sighed.

"No kidding," Ryo grumbled beside Ken, making the genius smile.

"Makes the President's Secret Service look like Disneyland security staff," Michael chuckled, elbowing Willace.

"The Secret Service isn't trying to keep an entire world out of DC," Mimi pointed out gently.

"That's insane!" Cody gaped.

"But it's effective," Mai spoke up. "There is no safer city in the entire Digital World."

"Try _all_ Digital Worlds," Takuya smirked.

"This is ridiculous," Henry sighed, shaking his head. Takato nodded in agreement.

"Even though we're DigiDestined, we have to go through all this crap?" Rika cried, indignantly.

"It is _because_ we are DigiDestined that we in particular have to go through all of this," Mai informed the hot-tempered Tamer. "Not even my… former group of DigiDestined were allowed to enter this city without being inspected. We aren't Digimon so they have to take extra care in evaluating us. We are an unknown and unpredictable variable in this world of data, so it's hard to gain the Jetakumon's trust."

"Not that you will ever get it," Takuya sighed. "As I said before, they're suspicious Digimon. Even towards each other."

"Not very sociable either," Mai agreed. "They take their job as this city's protectors very seriously. They are loyal to Lord Seiryuumon and Lord Seiryuumon alone."

"Scary," Yolei shivered.

"Don't worry too much," Takuya smiled softly. "We are expected by Lord Seiryuumon on a matter of great importance. I'm sure the process won't take as long as it normally would."

A loud piercing shriek seemed to split the air, making all of the DigiDestined jump except for Takuya.

"They're here," Takuya grinned as he slowly rose to his feet in time to greet a great big metal bird Digimon as it dived out of the sky, landing with a great big menacing metallic clang, cracking the rock ground with it's jarring impact. Nine more of the same loud clangs echoed around the circular ending of the mountain pass as nine more of the same Digimon landed in a tight ring along an invisible ledge high up the mountain's steep walls. Ken and Ryo joined many others as they pushed themselves away from the cliff walls, huddling in a tight group behind a seemingly unperturbed Takuya.

"Everyone, meet the Jetakumon, C-Wing class," Takuya said calmly.

The Jetakumon were enormous four-winged bird Digimon that looked like they were made entirely out of metal, but up close an observer would realize that they weren't. Their wings were plated with special sheets of metal digi-zoid armor while their bodies were encased in similar plates of armor that covered them from tail feather to the crest of their heads. Along the length of each wing, two missiles were attached, arming each Jetakumon with eight total. Their metal feet were also covered in armor, but left bare the three dangerously sharp talons on each toe. The face was the only part of the Digimon's body that wasn't covered in armor, but the DigiDestined were all wishing that it were. The face was that of a menacing metallic colored hawk with sharp unnerving molten gold eyes that made Suzie and Ai start to cry under their cold gaze. Mako buried his face into Jeri's side in order to stop himself from crying too.

'_Not the most friendly looking Digimon_,' Ken thought grimly, resisting the need to share a look with Ryo to see what he thought of the Jetakumon.

"Fair winds, fair skies, good hunters of the havens," Takuya called out in poetic greeting to the Digimon surrounding them.

The Jetakumon on the ground before them looked bored, but the sudden light in his eyes betrayed the surprise and interest it held in regards to Takuya's rather unusual greeting.

"…Calm currents and clean air. That's what resides up there," the Digimon rumbled back at Takuya in a low deep timber.

"Dust and sand in every crack and mound, that's what resides down here upon the ground," Takuya grinned back that the severe looking Digimon as he slowly lowered himself into a deep sweeping bow.

Now the Jetakumon eyed Takuya with open interest, cocking it's head to the side as it regarded the bowed figure. The DigiDestined were alarmed when it raised one of it's feet and reached for Takuya who was just starting to straighten up from his bow. Takuya made a quick gesture behind his back that only Ken seemed to notice, but Tai must have seen it too because he had everyone quiet down.

The smooth and rounded top edge of one of the lethal talons lifted Takuya's chin up for inspection. It was quiet for agonizingly long minutes as the Jetakumon examined Takuya and Takuya stared back with a calm gaze, giving the armored bird Digimon no reason to strike out at him or his companions. Finally the talon pulled back and the foot was placed back on the ground. Relief spread through the group and Ken even noted the slight drop in Takuya's shoulders. In spite of his calm and self-assured appearance, Ken realized that Takuya was just as worried and scared about these proceedings as the rest of them were. He had to admire the courage that Takuya possessed in the face of these fearsome Digimon.

"…From the skies above to this desolate mound of earth upon the ground I come to humbly bid you welcome in the Great One's stead," the Jetakumon rumbled, actually bowing it's head at Takuya. As it straightened again it spoke once more, "What business does one who speaks the old words of greeting here upon the ground want from us who hunt among the clouds?"

Takuya took one step forward and gave another bow, continuing to speak in the same strange way that seemed to please the Digimon.

"We wish to take to the skies and seek audience with the Great one in refuge among Shinrin's sheltering trees. Your noble and honorable Lord has foreseen our coming and awaits our arrival. I pray that with you're honorable judgment and keen eyes you will observe that we bring no harm to the people under your protective wings."

The Jetakumon inclined his head, nodding slowly. He then lowered his great body to the ground and now the DigiDestined could see that the great bird Digimon was carrying ten green-robed figures that looked like Otokomon, only all of these Otokomon were female in appearance.

"Ah," Takuya smiled. "The Onnamon."

The Onnamon all bowed at Takuya before two stepped forward and set to work patting him down and waving a wand of some kind. It reminded Ken of the security wands used at airports to detect metal. It alarmed everyone when the wand began to blare a loud note, it's head flashing red, the moment it first swept over Takuya's body. The Jetakumon's eyes narrowed as he brought his head down to the Onnamon and Takuya's level.

"His readings are off the charts," the Onnamon holding the wand explained, making the Jetakumon's eyes narrow into slits.

Takuya shrugged, but Ken noticed the nervous jerk in Takuya's shoulders.

"Step back," Takuya hissed to the others out of the corner of his mouth.

Ken immediately retreated back five feet with Wormmon on his shoulder while carefully pulling Davis and Veemon back with him. Ryo and Monodramon were only a step behind him with Kenta, Marineangemon, Kazu, and Andromon stumbling beside them. The others pulled back as well, leaving Takuya virtually alone before the suspicious Jetakumon. It was silent for a long moment while the Jetakumon stared Takuya down and the Onnamon continued their examination. Takuya, to his credit, had managed to remain still and unflinching under the severe gaze and scrutiny of the Jetakumon. As far as the DigiDestined could tell, no other red flags or alarms went off as Takuya's examination came to an end. Then one of the Onnamon – the one that had been patting him down – found the Medallion of Fire around the Flame Warrior's neck. The Jetakumon's eyes widened with surprise, recognizing the pendant that was once possessed by a Digimon ruler of the same authority as his Lord Seiryuumon.

"…Are you the human hybrid sent by Lord Suzakumon?" the bird Digimon demanded softly, speaking for the first time without the poetic mumbo jumbo.

"I am," Takuya nodded.

"Name," the Jetakumon snapped, the wand-free Onnamon pulling out a pager-looking device, ready to document whatever Takuya said.

"I am Takuya Kanbara," Takuya stated firmly, squaring his shoulders while looking the fearsome Digimon in it's hawk eyes, "Part of me was once the human host to the Warrior of Flame spirits Agunimon and BurningGreymon, now I am the newly resurrected Warrior of Flame recently reborn as a Digimon-Human hybrid, and am now the humble servant of Suzakumon Lord of Netsusa."

At the end of his little speech, Takuya bowed low, allowing the Flame Medallion to swing gently outside the confines of his shirt. The Jetakumon nodded slowly before waving one of his four massive wings towards the other DigiDestined. All ten of the Onnamon began to long process of examining the other DigiDestined and their partner Digimon. When it was his turn, Ken made sure that he stood still so as not to provoke the Digimon women. As he observed how the Onnamon were using the security wands, he realized that they must have been designed for the examination of humans alone because not one of the unusual devices were used on the Digimon. A different wand was pulled out for their examinations. Ken also noted that the wands used on the DigiDestined didn't go off when inspecting the Adventurer and Tamer DigiDestined, but when the Warrior DigiDestined and Mai were examined, the devices emitted soft beeps. However, none of the devices reacted to them as strongly as they had to Takuya. Ken's gaze caught Koji's, but the Warrior of Light only gave a slight rise in his shoulders in a discrete shrug.

"I wonder what those devices detect," he heard Izzi mutter beside him.

"Digimon?" Ken ventured a guess. "They reacted strongly to Takuya, and the other Warriors would most likely have traces of their spirit evolutions. As for Mai, she became human again only recently. She would most likely have faint traces of … the Digimon she used to be, still on her."

"I doubt it," Ryo muttered, joining in on the conversation. "By that logic then they should have reacted to me, Takato, Rika and Henry as well."

"Oh?" Izzi blinked. "Why's that?"

"Because the four of us merge with our Digimon partners to reach the mega level," Ryo explained. "It's been a months though, and we haven't had the means to reach that final evolution. Hell! Renamon, Guilmon and Terriermon can't even reach their Ultimate level in this world yet. None of our modify cards are working either."

"Modify cards?" Izzi blinked, fascinated and confused.

"Shh!" Ken hissed, halting the conversation just before a group of four Onnamon passed them, moving to stand before the Jetakumon once more.

"All clear," one of the Onnamon stated. "No unusual readings aside from the first one."

"Lord Seiryuumon sends his approval," the Onnamon with the pager-device stated. "Master Takuya and company are expected and have been issued a code orange upon arrival."

The Jetakumon nodded, before issuing a piercing cry up to it's fellows above, and six more joined him on the ground while the other three circled in the skies.

"We Jetakumon of the C-Wing class will now escort you to Shinrin," one of the new coming Jetakumon stated, lowering himself to ground level so that passengers could board his back. The other five new comers did the same.

"No more than five humans to a Jetakumon," Takuya advised, gesturing to the six waiting Jetakumon.

"But there are thirty-one humans and six Jetakumon," Salandermon pointed out. "One Jetakumon would have to carry six."

"Sorry, but I didn't count myself as one of the humans. As far as the Jetakumon are concerned, I'm a Digimon. A powerful one at that. I'll be riding our friend here as security protocol demands," Takuya explained, gesturing to the Jetakumon who had greeted them. Four of the Onnamon then surrounded Takuya and led him away from the others to board the first Jetakumon.

After a few minutes the seven Jetakumon on the ground joined their kin in the air. Takuya rode on the lead Jetakumon that had taken the point position. The other DigiDestined were aboard the other six Jetakumon accompanied by one of the remaining Onnamon that hadn't boarded Takuya's Jetakumon. Behind Takuya's lead Jetakumon, the six carrying passengers were flying in two columns of three, flanked one both sides by two of the unburdened Jetakumon while the last one brought up the rear.

Ken was flying with Izzi and Tentomon, Ryo and Monodramon, Kenta and Marineangemon, and Kazu and Guardromon, on the left rear Jetakumon. The Jetakumon beside them on the right carried Koichi, TK and Patamon, Kari and Gatomon, Rika and Renamon, and Cody and Armadillomon. The right center Jetakumon carried JP, Willace and his twin Digimon, Ai, Mako and Impmon, and Jeri and Leomon. The center left Jetakumon carried Tommy, Joe and Gomamon, Henry and Terriermon, Suzie and Lopmon, and Mai and Salandermon. The front left Jetakumon carried Koji, Tai and Agumon, Matt and Gabumon, Davis and Veemon, and Takato and Guilmon. The Jetakumon in the front right position carried Zoe, Sora and Biyomon, Yolei and Hawkmon, Mimi and Palmon, and Michael and Betamon.

The Jetakumon soared through the air at a quick pace, climbing higher and higher into the skies before breaking through the upper cloud cover and slowed to a crawl, gliding on the drafts. The DigiDestined could now see a carpet of trees below as the browns and greys of the earth below gave way to a forest of greenery that covered the soaring peaks. Among the outcroppings of rocks, hints of sleepy little villages could be seen as wood smoke from cooking fires wafted in to them on the breeze. As the Jetakumon gradually climbed higher, dwellings became more evident as leveled tier upon tier became more obvious as well as the roads and paths that were carved into the mountainside ascended. Finally as they reached the top of the mountain, the forest receded and the mountain dipped low into a valley filled with the most spectacular and stunning city any of them had ever seen. Buildings seemed to be a remarkable combination of wood, stone and metal, and rose up to varying heights, starting from single stories around the edge of the city and growing in height as they came to the center where a castle that looked like it was pulled right out of Cinderella rose daintily above all else, marking the highest point of the Shinrin Mountains. Surrounding the city was a tall stone wall where eight columns of rock rose up even higher into the sky, but not quite reaching the height of the majestic castle. Ken reasoned that the columns were the holding towers that Takuya had mentioned earlier. His suspicions were confirmed when the Jetakumon angled their flight path towards the nearest of these columns.

An opening revealed itself only seconds before any of the DigiDestined began to panic in earnest and wonder if the Jetakumon were going to crash them into the stone masonry of the tower. Kenta even let out a shaky breath when the Jetakumon pulled up and landed with surprising grace on a raise landing platform in the dim light inside to tower. Ken and Ryo shared a glance, agreeing whole-heartedly with the sentiment.

"This way please," their guide Onnamon bowed, indicating that they should disembark from the Jetakumon's back and down the platform's ramp to the main floor below. Ken was only too glad to oblige.

He realized that they were now in what looked like a hanger bay with many raised platforms for the Jetakumon to bring their passengers in for observation. At the end of the hanger, two large double doors awaited them providing the only exit. The DigiDestined were re-gathered and then guided to these doors by the Onnamon. The doors turned out to be the doors to a lift that took them to the top floor of the tower where they had a view of the entire city spread out before them. Like Takuya had told them, they were subjected to yet another security search, this one going a lot faster than the previous one, but once again Takuya was led away from the others by the four Onnamon he'd flown with. Ken wasn't sure if they ought to worry about that or not, but Tai didn't appear too concerned and even Koji appeared calm.

"I wonder what that's about," Ryo muttered.

"Who knows," Ken shrugged.

"Must have something to do with that Code Orange the Onnamon had talked about," Izzi mused, joining them after his own inspection.

"It is."

The three of them jumped when Koji suddenly materialized behind them.

"How do you know that?" Ryo blinked.

Koji simply raised an eyebrow at the older boy.

"Call it a feeling," the Warrior of Light replied crisply.

Ken couldn't hold back a cough of laughter. Ryo was one of the few (including Izzi) that were still skeptical about Koji's "psychic" abilities, but since no one could dispute the fact that Koji was often correct in his "assumptions" that the skeptics believed that his "instincts" to be first rate. Ken had already accepted the idea that Koji was a psychic, but didn't bother voicing this to his skeptical long lost friend. The way Ken saw it, if the Warrior DigiDestined could become Digimon, and Koichi could sense the darkness in others, and JP could gauge the power and flow of energy in a device or persons, then why was it so hard to believe that Koji was most likely psychic? This was a Digital World after all. Anything was possible.

"What does this 'feeling' tell you?" Ken smiled, ignoring the withering glance that Ryo gave him.

Koji raised his eyebrow at this, but couldn't hide the shadow of a smile that was forming at the corners of his mouth. Ken also raised an eyebrow, allowing his own smile to turn into a smirk. Koji considered the boy before him before shrugging.

"He's meeting with a representative from Lord Seiryuumon's court as we speak," he replied. "He's trying to get us out of here earlier than the required three days for the observations that we're supposed to go through and possibly about getting an audience for Zoe since she's the most likely and by far the most logical candidate to receive the Medallion of Wind."

"Sounds plausible," Ken nodded, but Izzi and Ryo traded skeptical glances.

"Will he succeed?" Ryo asked sarcastically.

Koji gave Ryo a look but allowed a sly smile.

"Of course. It is Takuya after all. You'd be amazed by what he's capable of. If there is anything that he sets his mind to, he can achieve it one way or another."

Others had gathered around them after their security checks during this conversation, but had hung back quietly. They were all talking among themselves now and it continued for the next hour until Takuya rejoined them with a big smile plastered on his face.

"You guys ready to get out of here?"

"Just like that?" Koji asked, quirking his raised eyebrow even higher.

"Just like that," Takuya grinned hugely. "Let's not keep Lord Seiryuumon waiting."

Tai shook his head, his own wide smile spreading across his features.

"Let's not," he agreed.

The Onnamon escorted them down and out of the tower where they were handed off to a group of twenty Mekanorimon. The trip up to the palace was on foot so it seemed to take forever, but Ken soaked in as much of this grand city in the Shinrin Mountains as much as he could. The Digimon that inhabited the city walked at a leisurely pace and didn't even bother to spare the new comers to their city with more than a curious glance. They were obviously used to receiving new guests in their city these days. The buildings on the outer part of the city may have been smaller than their neighbors further into the city, but they were by no means shabby. In fact all of the buildings in Shinrin were immaculately kept and well tended with no sign of graffiti of any kind. This surprised Ken. Never before had he seen an entire city look as if it had been built just yesterday. There was little wear and tear visible on any of the buildings, but some of the buildings were obviously old, especially those further in and closest to the palace.

"This place is amazing," Sora said with awe, hugging Matt's arm.

"**This city is our pride and our joy**," one of the Mekanorimon stated. "**It is a haven for all of Shinrin's citizens, so we keep it thus**."

"**It is our duty to keep this city and her citizens protected in these dangerous times**," another Mekanorimon added. "**We find it is a great honor to reside here and serve Lord Seiryuumon and Shinrin's Digimon**."

"So you Mekanorimon work as this city's authorities?" Izzi asked, fascinated as usual.

"Exactly," Takuya grin from the head of the group beside Tai. "The Mekanorimon are essentially the police. As for the Onnamon, they serve as security, but often work as Shinrin's own kind of Interpol or Secret Service. Am I right Mai?"

"Yes," the former Zaigou nodded. "There are also Tankmon and other types of mechanical robotic Digimon that work as this city's army and military."

"Making the Jetakumon the Air Force," Ken mused aloud, seeing where this was going.

"Yup," Takuya grinned and Mai nodded once again.

"Seems this city's packing a lot of heat," Kazu whistled.

"They have to if they want to keep it safe," Kenta replied reasonably.

Things quieted down a little as the DigiDestined continued to admire the structures that now surrounded them as they entered the newest tier of tall buildings.

"Say Takuya," Izzi called out to the Flame Warrior. "How is it that you got us out of that tower so soon? You told us that new visitors to the city would have to wait three days under observation for clearance."

Many others halted their own private conversations to hear Takuya's answer.

"I was speaking with a Renamon," Takuya replied. "She is one of Lord Seiryuumon's confidants and was sent to confirm that I was who I claimed to be. Once my identity as Lord Suzakumon's half human hybrid Digimon was confirmed she negotiated with the Onnamon for our release so that we may seek an audience with Lord Seiryuumon as soon as Digitally possible."

Davis snickered at Takuya's clever substitute for the word "humanly" to better suit the Digimon. Ken then noticed that beside his best friend, Koji was trying not to look smug as Izzi and Ryo frowned at this revelation. The Warrior of Light's prediction was right once again, much to the skeptic's chagrin. Ken had to hide his own smile now. He thought it was rather silly that neither of them could accept what was right before them. Especially Izzi of all people, who should have been more open-minded after all of his adventures in their Digital World.

"**We are here**," a Mekanorimon reported.

The DigiDestined looked up and realized that they were standing at the base of a tall wall that surrounded the castle. The gate slowly opened and revealed a lush lawn that spanned nearly half a mile long before the milk white castle walls. There were flowers in bloom everywhere and every hedge was groomed and trimmed immaculately.

"It's beautiful," Mimi gasped. "Magical even."

"This way please."

They all jumped when a Renamon similar to Rika's Digimon partner appeared, only this one had green eyes instead of crystal blue. She was also just a little taller than Rika's Renamon. She bowed low and respectfully toward Takuya.

When no one moved she added, "Lord Seiryuumon is waiting."

Takuya then took lead with Tai only a step behind him as everyone made their way across the lawn to the castle. Once inside the castle walls, the light was dimmed considerably compared the bright sunlight outside. Even with the flaring torches set at regular intervals it was a dark passage. Ken realized that this level didn't appear to have windows.

"Hen-wee," Suzie whimpered. "It dark."

"We are in one of the lower levels Miss," the green-eyed Renamon answered. "Once we ascend to the throne room higher up, there will be more light."

"Is there a reason why there appear to be no windows on this level Renamon?" Henry inquired.

"The first five levels have no windows on the rare chance this city and the castle's outer wall have been breached by an invasion force," their guide explained. "That way staff and security only have to worry about covering the doors. It also makes it easier to seal off one of these floors in case of intruders. These lower floors form an ever-changing maze, meant to confuse anyone who is not shown in by an assigned escort such as myself."

"Good grief," Ryo grumbled, making Ken smile. "As if anyone could make it past the Jetakumon, the Onnamon, and the armed Digimon patrolling this place."

"Nothing is impossible young man," the Renamon frowned. "Just because it has yet happened doesn't mean that it won't ever come to pass."

"So where are you taking us?" Rika's Renamon asked her kin.

"To Lord Seiryuumon's audience chamber where the majority of you will wait while Master Takuya and the Wind Warrior enter the throne room for an audience with Lord Seiryuumon."

Everyone began to talk in hushed whispers in their own private conversations as Renamon continued to lead them through the maze of dark passageways of the first few floors. They finally reached a door that lead into a well-lit room with windows. It was a wide hallway where many other Digimon of all shapes, sizes and kinds hurried one way or another, making it as busy as one of the streets outside.

"Please stick together now," the green-eyed Renamon called out to the DigiDestined over the noise. "This is one of the most well transverse corridors of the castle and you could easily get separated."

It was a little hard going, but all of the DigiDestined managed to maneuver past busy Digimon and follow Renamon until she finally shepherded them into a sitting room of some kind. Benches and chairs lined the walls and a single desk sat against the far wall in between two doors. A Swanmon sat waiting to welcome them with a pleasant smile and bowed gracefully at the green eyed Renamon.

"Lord Seiryuumon is awaiting the Warriors of Flame and Wind," she said in a singsong voice.

Renamon then gestured for Takuya and Zoe to accompany the Swanmon and told the others that they should take a seat while they wait. Takuya and Zoe were led through the left door and the green eyed Renamon said a few parting words to Rika's Renamon before leaving through the door on the right. Ken, Wormmon, Ryo and Monodramon decided to join a rather large group comprised of Henry, Suzie, Lopmon, Terriermon, Ai, Mako, Impmon, Jeri, Leomon, Takato, Guilmon, Veemon and Davis while they all waited for Takuya and Zoe to return. To pass the time they all played "I Spy" with the little ones. There was a wide assortment of objects in the room to choose from so the game went on for quite a while, but eventually Mako lost interest, and Ai and Suzie fell asleep in Henry and Jeri's laps.

Finally the left door opened again and Takuya and Zoe rejoined them talking animatedly. Everyone (except for Henry and Jeri) was quick to leave their seats and gather around.

"I can't believe it!" Zoe was squealing. "Who would have thought?"

"Will you just get over it already?" Takuya sighed, sounding a little annoyed.

"Over what?" Koji asked, reaching them just before Tai did.

"The fact the Lord Seiryuumon is a woman," Takuya grunted.

"WHAT?" came the chorused response.

"I don't know why it's such a big shock," Takuya frowned.

"Well all the other Lords were men!" Zoe protested.

"So?" Takuya snorted, but Ken thought he looked uncomfortable.

"_So_," Zoe sighed, exasperated. "Why don't they call her "Lady" Seiryuumon instead? "Lord" is a man's title."

"Not necessarily," Izzi tried to add, but his statement went ignored.

"She didn't want to be treated any differently than the others?" Takuya shrugged. "I don't know Zoe. Ask her yourself sometime."

"What's up with you Takuya?" JP frowned. "You seem kinda edgy."

"Am not!" Takuya huffed.

"Oh really?" Koichi chuckled.

"Is something bothering you?" Ken asked, surprising the others.

Takuya started at him for a moment, but Ken kept his gaze even, raising an eyebrow as he did so. Takuya let out a shaky chuckle.

"By the Sovereign," he sighed. "You looked like Koji for a moment there Ken."

"Hey," Koji frowned, raising an eyebrow of his own. "Answer his question. Is something bothering you or what?"

"The human half? No," Takuya sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "The Digimon half? …Kinda. It's got to do with Agunimon specifically."

"Huh?" everyone blinked.

"Well…" Takuya blushed. "You know how Suzakumon was his father?"

"Yeah…" the slower ones said slowly, but many gasped, seeing the connection instantly.

"Lord Seiryuumon is his mom?" they gasped.

Takuya flinched, but allowed a half smile.

"Making her inadvertently _my_ mom," Takuya sighed. "Remember, I'm not just Takuya. I'm Takuya, Agunimon, and BurningGreymon _combined_. It's a collective consciousness. I'm not alone in this body. It just so happens that Takuya's memories and personality are dominate because of the human body that was used as this body's base."

"Is that why she kept staring at you?" Zoe gasped.

"Maybe," Takuya shrugged, still looking uncomfortable.

"Why does she bother you?" Ken asked, following up on his original question.

"She doesn't bother _me_," Takuya emphasized. "It's Agunimon that's feeling awkward."

"Why?" Koji pressed.

"…Sorry, but that's private," Takuya laughed nervously.

Ken could see that Takuya really didn't want to talk about this anymore so he decided that it was better to let it go and offered up another question.

"So did you get the Medallion of Wind, Zoe?"

"Huh?" the blond girl blinked. "Oh! Yeah."

Zoe then beamed as she showed him and the others the last medallion that they'd been traveling all over the Digital World for.

"So what now?" Sora asked.

Tai and Takuya shared a glance.

"Well we know that we have to head back to go back to Himizu City to hear the other two prophecies," Tai mused.

"But we just got here," someone groaned.

Ken wasn't too sure who it was, but he had a feeling that it was Kazu.

"Lord Seiryuu… Oh fine!" Takuya huffed after getting a look from Zoe, "_Lady_ Seiryuumon has arranged some rooms for us to stay in for the next few days."

"Days?" Tai frowned.

"Days," Takuya nodded grimly. "Remember how I met with that other Renamon to negotiate with the Onnamon for our release from that holding tower?"

Everyone nodded.

"Well the key word used here is: negotiate. Our three days of observation is to be held here in the castle. Once all three days are over, _Lady_ Seiryuumon will meet with all of us, but for now she'll only see me."

"What about Zoe?" Rika asked.

"No," Zoe pouted. "I am to remain with the rest of you. It seems that she only trusts Takuya. Apparently a Digimon-Human hybrid can't be faked or replicated, so only his identity is positively confirmed. We're still out for debate."

"But she gave you her medallion!" JP exclaimed.

"Only because Takuya insisted," Zoe sighed.

"Excuse me?" a soft voice called.

Everyone turned to face the Swanmon who had taken Takuya and Zoe to see Seiryuumon.

"Could you all follow me, please?" the lovely Digimon bowed.

Everyone followed Swanmon out of the waiting room through the door on the right this time. They traveled down numerous passageways and finally up a spiral staircase until they neared the top of what must have been one of the castle's many towers.

"This is where you'll be staying," Swanmon bowed again as she ushered them into a large common room with couches, chairs and tables. There were three doors lining the wall opposite them.

"The door on the right leads to the ladies chambers," Swanmon continued, "the door on the left is the gentlemen's quarters, and the door in the middle leads to a washroom. Meals will be brought up and served to you. Dinner should be along in an hour or so, so please make yourselves comfortable."

Swanmon bowed to them one more time before she descended the staircase that sealed itself off once she was gone so that no one could follow her.

* * *

Uh oh. What's in store for the DigiDestined now? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

I am really sorry for the late update guys, but I'm afraid that there is more waiting to be had. Please read the following (pasted and altered from the notice on my profile):

**_IMPORTANT NOTICE:_**

One Thousand apologies and Millions more my readers. After I post this chapter of UGotD and chapter 10 of Drowning Memories I don't plan on updating any of my fics for the next 2-3 months. As all of you that have been reading this fic from the beginning know, my updates as of late have been few and far between compared to my old habit of updating every 2-4 days. When summer had started, I thought that I'd be able to update more regularly, but the exact opposite has happened. I have work to do especially now that I'm back home and work makes me lazy and highly susceptible to distractions (I've been reading Ranger's Apprentice). Also my time on the computer has been limited. So, as an unforeseenable result, I am going to step back from fan fiction at least until August.

_**HOWEVER**_, just because I am not going to be updating, doesn't mean that I am going to be inactive. During this "break" I will still be writing my fics but I will also be going back over my previously written chapters. I am doing this because 1) editing needs to be done, 2) I want to integrate the Tamers into my UGotD fic more (if any of you wonderful Tamers fans out there have any ideas I am all ears), 3) I'm trying to revive my exhausted muses, 4) reorganize my thoughts for my stories so that I can continue writing decent chapters for you wonderful readers, and 5) because I have failed to add in more chapters from the parent's side in this fic, I have come to the conclusion that to accomplish that I need to write a side story that runs alongside this one. So for those of you reading UGotD, I highly recommend rereading the story when I repost my chapters. You'll know if they are reposted because the revised chapters will be marked/noted in some way (haven't decided how yet).

If any of you have questions please feel free to send me a private message or contact me on Facebook. I check my e-mail regularly so you are guaranteed a quick reply. Again I apologize and beg for your forgiveness.

Terribly sorry,

_Shara Raizel_


	41. A Breach In Security

Ya hoo! New chapter! Yay! Sorry for the long wait you guys, but chapter 41 is finally here! :D

This chapter alternates between Ai, Mako and Ryo's POV, so it's finally another Tamer's chapter! This also marks the end of the Medallions story arc and the start of a new story arc. There are plenty of surprises ahead and I hope you enjoy this latest chapter of UGotD! PLEASE REVIEW! Oh! And also, don't forget to check out this fic's side story: Parent Worries. I wrote it for all of yous! :D

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS! I ONLY OWN MAI AND ANY DIGIMON THAT I'VE CREATED.

* * *

Chapter 41: A Breach In Security

Ai sighed, kicking her bare feet out over the edge of the balcony between the rail's posts. Mako was sitting next to her looking equally bored. It was the second of the DigiDestined's three required days of observation in the high holding towers in Shinrin Castle.

"I'm bored!" Mako whined for the tenth time in the past twenty-six minutes. Ai was bored enough to count and time him using the clock on their D-Power.

"Then do something," Ai mumbled, pressing her forehead against one of the posts.

"Like what?" Mako asked.

"I don't know," Ai huffed, sitting back. "Ask Impmon."

"Ask me what?" their Digimon partner yawned from his perch on the balcony's awning where he'd been taking a nap.

"We're bored Impmon," Mako whined.

"Bored, huh?" Impmon mused, looking at his two humans before swinging his body over the awning's edge, hanging by his feet to look back inside the tower's rooms.

The diminutive Digimon observed the other DigiDestined inside in contemplative silence for a few minutes before the sliding door to the balcony opened.

"What's going on?" Suzie asked as she came outside to join the only other two DigiDestined her age. She looked bored too.

"Hey, Pinky," Impmon barked, gaining Suzie's attention. "What's everyone else doin?"

"Sitting and talking," Suzie pouted. "And don't call me Pinky!"

"Sure, sure," Impmon nodded distractedly before a huge grin broke out over his face.

Ai and Mako saw this and rose to join him.

"Yous guys are bored right?" Impmon grinned. "Well to me – if Pineapple-head is any thing to go by – it looks like the livin' dead are inside, so why don't we liven the place up a little huh?"

Mako cocked his head to the side.

"How?"

Impmon's grin widened.

"Now here's what we're gonna do…"

Ai and Suzie were now in the girls' room peeking out of the door into the main common room. Everyone else was already gathered there minus the two of them, Mako and Impmon.

"You ready?" Ai asked.

Suzie nodded gleefully.

"Yup!" she bobbed her head.

"Let's go!" Ai said, throwing open the door and running out screaming at the top of her lungs. Suzie was right behind her.

Everyone looked up, startled, as the two little girls raced into the room and dived behind a couch where Izzi, Ken and Ryo were sitting. Seconds later Mako and Impmon threw open the door to the boys' room.

"What is it Ai? Suzie?" Impmon demanded, being the very concerned and protective Digimon partner he was for his young charges.

"Bugs!" wailed the two girls, looking fearfully up at the ceiling.

Tentomon looked like he'd taken offense – being a bug type Digimon himself – but apparently had decided not to comment and keep out of their way when the two little girls screamed again, diving for cover behind another article of furniture – this time a lounge chair that Tai was sitting in – while pointing at the "bugs." Lopmon tried to calm Suzie down and assure her that everything was fine, that she saw no bugs, but the little five-year-old wasn't listening – seemingly in hysterics with Ai.

Mako then came tearing out of the boy's room brandishing a magazine he'd found (one of the comic books that had been in Kazu's pack).

"I'll get 'em!" the little boy declared, swatting around wherever Ai and Suzie pointed.

Impmon shot off a few of his Bada Booms, scattering all those who'd been sitting nearby. Poor Tentomon soon sought refuge inside the boys' room after Mako had accidently hit him and Impmon nearly fried his antennae when mistaken for one of the "pests."

Ai was now trying to hold in her giggles as everyone began looking around wildly for these non-existent bugs, but she stopped short when she and Suzie accidently ran into the back of Takuya's legs. Ai gulped. Amidst all of the confusion that they'd created, Takuya alone looked calm as he silently regarded the two instigators. He raised an eyebrow, making both girls blush.

"He knows," Suzie whispered to her, clutching her hand.

Ai almost nodded, but held her stance. Instead, she looked defiantly up at the older boy, almost daring him to call them on their prank. Takuya regarded her for a moment before looking up at the others around him, calling out to the first one he saw.

"Hey Mimi!" he shouted.

The pretty strawberry blond looked up at him. Ai held her breath, waiting for Impmon's whole plan to come crashing down around her and Suzie.

"…You better watch out," Takuya continued after a long heart beat. "There's a big one right above your left ear!"

Mimi gave a wild shriek and darted away from where she'd been sitting. Yolei and Zoe had been sitting next to her and started screaming too, darting for the opposite end of the room as well, adding fuel and even more confusion to the chaos that Ai and Suzie had created. Suzie and Ai started at Takuya, dumbfounded, but the older boy simply winked at them and began to go about and pretend to help Mako and Impmon fight off the "bugs" that had "attacked" Mimi.

Mako and Impmon were all too happy to let the great Human-Digimon Hybrid help them "detect" the little "buggers." Impmon knew that Takuya would easily see through their prank like he had and had been worried that the boy would ruin their fun, but Impmon was all too thrilled to have Takuya join in. It made their lie all the more credible if someone with super hearing and sight could was in on it.

"I knew I liked that Takuya-guy," Impmon whispered to Mako in passing as they Takuya detected another group of "bugs" around where Kenta and Kazu were standing.

After Ai got a grip on herself and the shock had worn off, she dragged Suzie back into the game. She noticed that Kenta and Kazu now had rolled up papers in hand and were brandishing them wherever Takuya, Mako and Impmon were pretending to swat at the "pests." Now that more people were swatting and screaming at these "bugs," more people began to think that they were really seeing them. TK had taken his hat off and was swatting around Kari to keep any "bugs" off of her and Davis and Veemon were using cushions to swat at wherever Mimi and Yolei insisted that they saw bugs even though they couldn't see the little buggers yet themselves.

Of course Takuya wasn't the only one that had caught on to the scheme at this point. Izzi had darted out of the room with his laptop to prevent it from getting damaged in the mayhem that was ensuing and came out with Tentomon, informing Ai and Suzie and the other "hysterical" people that a bigger bug like Tentomon might be able to zap and kill the other bugs with his Super Shocker. Ai might have thought the computer boy was being serious if he hadn't winked at her like Takuya had. Ken and Wormmon were also getting in on the prank, going along with a "plan" similar to Izzi's, saying that maybe Wormmon's String Shot, would be sticky enough to catch the bugs like fly traps, so the swatters were now rounding up the "bugs" wherever Wormmon was setting up these "traps."

The funniest thing ever though, for Ai, was when Rika and Ryo teamed up with each other and had managed to convince Kenta that a bug had flown down his shirt. Kenta freaked out big time. Ai and Suzie couldn't stop themselves from laughing when Kenta began to scream and Kazu began to swat him down in an attempt to kill the pest.

By then, between the obviously ridiculous schemes to get rid of the bugs that Izzi and Ken were coming up with, Takuya, Mako and Impmon's antics, and the laughter directed at Kenta and Kazu from those already in on the prank, almost everyone had figured it out by then. Poor Kenta and Kazu were the last ones to get a clue and that was only when they realized that the whole room was laughing at them.

When things settled down again Ai, Mako, Suzie and Impmon were severely scolded by Henry, but most of the others just laughed it off, admitting that at least the prank had taken an edge off the boredom.

It was late in the middle of the night when Mako rolled over awake in bed with a sigh. He just couldn't sleep. Something was bothering him, but he couldn't think of what it might be. He looked over at Impmon who was dozing lightly beside him before carefully getting out of bed and tiptoeing over other to get to the bedroom door. After sneaking a peek over his shoulder to make sure that he hadn't woken up any of the other boys, he crept out into the common room, his bare feet padding softly on the soft carpet floors. Once he had the door to the boys' room shut, he let out a sigh of relief and made his way over to the sliding door that led out onto the balcony. It had become his favorite spot in the suite they were staying in.

"And what are you doing up out of bed this late at night?"

Mako gave a startled jump, whirling around to see who'd spoken, but all he could see was the back of a lounge chair. Mako was about to call out to the speaker when Ryo Akiyama rose out of the chair and walked silently over to the little boy.

"R-Ryo?" Mako stuttered, embarrassed about getting caught out of bed.

"Couldn't sleep, huh?" Ryo smiled softly.

Mako shook his head.

"Me neither," Ryo grinned, putting the boy at ease. "Common."

Ryo ushered Mako out onto the balcony with him and the two of them sat down in a couple of chairs.

"You know, that was some prank you and your sister pulled today kid," Ryo laughed softly.

"It was Impmon's idea," Mako grinned, swinging his legs back and forth in his chair.

"Of course it was," Ryo snorted. "I'd been wondering when he was going to stir something up. He may like his naps, but lying around all the time is not his style. He'd been too quiet lately."

Mako nodded his head.

It was quiet for a few minutes out in the night air as the two looked back on the mayhem that had taken place that afternoon.

"Uhh… Ryo?" Mako suddenly said tentatively. "Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot, squirt," Ryo smiled back.

"…Why do you think Ai and I can't help Impmon to digivolve? And how come Monodramon can digivolve past Champion and into his Ultimate level?"

Ryo sat back in his chair, musing to himself.

"Well Monodramon can Warp-Digivolve into Cyberdramon because of all that experience we racked up during that entire year we were in the Digital World alone. As for why you and Ai can't get Impmon to digivolve, I suppose it's because you two are young and don't have enough experience of your own yet."

"But Suzie can get Lopmon to Digivolve into Antylamon and she's the same age as Ai," Mako frowned.

"True," Ryo said slowly, "But Suzie's been to the Digital World once before. This is yours and Ai's first time. Besides, Lopmon was once a Dava."

"Dava?" Mako repeated. "What's a Dava?"

"A really powerful Digimon that works for the Digimon Sovereign, Zhuqiaomon," Ryo told him. "But I haven't seen Lopmon Digivolve into Antylamon at all since we got here though. And Impmon hasn't become Beelzemon either. …Is that why you're asking me all this? Because you want to know why Impmon can't digivolve anymore?"

"Uh huh," Mako nodded.

Ryo sighed and took out his D-Power.

"There are a lot of things in this world that we can't do right now, that we could have done back in our world. The D-Powers aren't working for some reason Mako. They won't let us use our Modify Cards to help our partners."

"Why? Are they broken?" Mako asked, leaning forward in his seat to look at Ryo's D-Power.

"No," Ryo chuckled. "They're not broken. They just won't work in the way we'd like them to."

"Why?" Mako asked, tilting his head. "Why won't they work?"

"I dunno kid," Ryo sighed again. "Ken thinks that maybe it's because the properties of this world are different from our home world and are interfering with how things should work."

"Huh?" Mako blinked.

"How do I explain all of this to a four-year-old?" Ryo muttered. "Umm… Oh! You know how Monodramon can digivolve into Cyberdramon?"

"Yeah," Mako nodded. "Because he's strong. Because he has experience."

"…Do you even know what experience is?" Ryo asked.

"…Kinda," Mako said, tilting his head to the side. "It's like when you fight all those monsters in a video game to earn all those points you need to bring your character to the next level right?"

"Something like that," Ryo laughed. "But that's about right when it comes to Digimon. Let's pretend that we're in a video game alright Mako?"

"Okay," the little boy nodded.

"Let's say Monodramon is a level… 5 Digimon and has earned enough experience points to keep him at that level. Then you have Impmon and Lopmon."

"What level are they?" Mako asked.

"…We'll say level 3, because they're rookie Digimon, but here's the thing Mako. Unlike Monodramon, who has all these experience points, Lopmon and Impmon have very few experience points."

"So how do they Digivolve?" Mako asked.

"With power boosts," Ryo grinned.

"Power boosts?" Mako repeated. "You mean like those things in a video game that can make you're characters stronger?"

"Exactly," Ryo nodded. "Impmon was given the ability to Digivolve into Beelzemon because of a power boost that the Sovereign gave him in our world. Lopmon is the same. They didn't earn the ability to Digivolve like Monodramon, they were given it. You with me so far?"

"I think so," Mako nodded. "But how come they can't use their power boosts anymore?"

"It's not that they can't use them," Ryo shook his head. "It's just that we're in another system. Another dungeon. Another level of the game. And what happens to all your power ups, upgrades, and equipment when you move on to another area in a game?"

"You store them or they were left behind in the last area or they were all used up," Mako answered before his eyes widened. "Does that mean that Impmon and Lopmon can't use their power boosts that the sovereign gave them because we're in a different Digital World?"

"You got it," Ryo smiled grimly. "Ken's one smart cookie to figure this all out, isn't he? He figured it all out yesterday apparently after having a long conversation with me, Takuya, Mai, Izzi and Henry."

Mako nodded, then paused.

"But what were you saying about properties?"

"Huh?" Ryo blinked. "Oh! I was referring as to why our D-Powers aren't working. Ken, Izzi and Henry think that it's because this is a different Digital World and in the process of coming here, something disabled the Modify function on our D-Powers. Henry actually let Izzi take his D-Power apart so that the computer geek could see how it works."

"Really?" Mako's eyes widened.

"Yeah," Ryo nodded. "Apparently our D-Powers are functioning perfectly, but our Modify Cards are just normal cards in this world. Any special properties – or abilities – that they may have had back in our world don't work in this world at all."

"Why not?" Mako asked.

"Ahh…" Ryo scratched the back of his head. He was surprised that Mako was getting any of this at all. "I'm not really sure kid. Our world has a Digital World that's very different and more unstable than this one. According to Takuya and Mai, our Digital World has to be relatively new. According to them and Henry, when we came here our D-Power's Modify ability became disengaged because our Digital World's make up that had allowed the card's special properties to function hadn't caught up to reach a level anywhere near this Digital World's. It's like trying to play a Gameboy cartridge on a Wii console. They're not compatible systems."

"How come the other DigiDestined's digivices work when ours don't?" Mako asked.

"Their Digital Worlds are apparently a lot like this one, so their systems _are_ compatible."

"You mean like how you can play a GameCube game in a Wii?" Mako asked.

"Exactly!" Ryo beamed. "It is exactly like that Mako. Even though this Digital World is a lot older than any of ours, it's technology is far more advanced. …Kinda makes you wonder what the corresponding human world looks like."

"You mean Mai's home world?" Mako asked to clarify now that Ryo was using big words.

"Yeah. Mai's home world," Ryo sighed. "Maybe it's like something out of Star Wars."

Mako giggled.

"There you two are."

Mako and Ryo looked up to see Monodramon and Impmon in the doorway to the balcony.

"What's up Mako?" Impmon yawned. "Whatcha doin out here with Cowboy?"

Ryo chuckled. He had no idea why Impmon had started calling him that.

"Are you alright Ryo?" Monodramon asked.

"I'm fine," Ryo assured his Digimon partner. "Mako and I couldn't sleep is all, so we came out here."

Ryo rose from his seat and wandered over to the balcony's rail.

"What were ya talkin about?" Impmon asked Mako.

"I was just asking him some things," Mako told Impmon as he watched Ryo's back.

"What kinda things?" Impmon asked, eyes narrowed at the older Tamer now.

Mako was about to answer but Ryo cut him off.

"Shh! I think I see something down below," he hissed.

Mako, Impmon and Monodramon rushed to Ryo's side to look out down into the courtyard below.

"I think something's in the courtyard's bushes," Ryo muttered.

"A guard maybe?" Monodramon suggested.

"No," Ryo shook his head. "One passed by two minutes ago. And why would a guard be in the bushes?"

Mako couldn't see anything, but he suddenly felt something stir inside him. For some reason he felt he needed the D-Power that he and Ai shared on him in that moment. Acting on instinct, Mako quickly reentered the tower suite and quietly snuck into the girls' room. It took him a moment, but he finally located Ai and carefully took the D-Power from her. It had been lying next to her on top of her day clothes. Mako quietly tiptoed out of the room again, slipping the leather cord that the digivice was on over his head so that it hung around his neck. He rejoined Impmon, Monodramon and Ryo out on the balcony where they still had their eyes trained on the courtyard below. Mako saw another Digimon walking down the path and assumed that it was one of the security guards for the castle. Impmon identified the Digimon as Knightmon for him. As the two humans and Digimon watched the guard go about his patrol, the bush that Ryo had said was moving earlier suddenly ambushed the guard, deleting him in one swift movement.

"Damn," Ryo swore under his breath.

Mako was about to call Ryo out on saying a bad word when he saw a round Digimon darted out of the bush. It looked around cautiously before darting up the path where the guard had been heading.

"It's a Ninjamon," Monodramon frowned. "They're bad news no matter what Digital World you're in."

"We gotta get out of here," Ryo announced. "I don't think Ninjamon is a welcomed guest of Lord Seiryuumon's. He could be a Zaigou spy."

"How are we gonna get out of here?" Monodramon asked. "We're about eight stories up from that courtyard and we're stuck in here for another twenty-four hours. Couldn't we just alert the next guard that passes by?"

"There's no time to wait for the next guard," Ryo said grimly. "There's no telling what how much damage Ninjamon can cause by the time the next one comes around. Besides, no one is going to be coming up to our tower until breakfast time."

"Should we wake the others?" Monodramon asked.

"That wouldn't do much good, seeing as we don't have a way of getting out of here," Ryo sighed. "And even if we did have a way of getting out, a large unauthorized group of humans moving about the castle are going to get noticed. No Monodramon, it's best if it's just you and me."

"We're going too!" Mako stated firmly.

" Yeah," Impmon nodded. "Can't let yous guys have all the fun."

Ryo pursed his lips.

"It could be dangerous," he warned the little boy. "You aren't prepared for what we could get into down there."

"You said that Impmon couldn't digivolve in this world because Ai and I don't have the experience that you do, so let me help!" Mako cried. "How else am I going to get experience? I may be a little kid, but I'm not stupid!"

"Shh! Keep it down!" Ryo flinched. "Do you want to wake the others? I'm surprised Takuya – with his advanced hybrid hearing – hasn't woken up yet."

"Takuya's not here," Monodramon informed his partner.

"Must be having another late night meeting with Lord-! _Lady_ Seiryuumon then," Ryo sighed.

"Maybe I will wake the others if you won't let me go with you!" Mako retorted, not one to be ignored or dismissed. "Mommy and Daddy told me that a person should never go off by themselves. You should always take a buddy!"

"I'll have Monodramon with me," Ryo sighed.

"But who will look out for Barney there if the two of yous run into trouble?" Impmon pointed out, ignoring the older Tamer's glare after he insulted Monodramon with the nickname.

"Yeah!" Mako cried.

"Shh!" Ryo sighed, exasperated. "Fine! The two of you can come along, but you have to stay close to me Mako.

The little boy beamed.

"Now how are we gonna get out of here to raise the alarm?" Ryo muttered to himself.

"We could go through the vents," Mako suggested. "Ai and I saw it in a spy movie once."

"I doubt that it'll work," Ryo sighed. "It won't be so easy getting out of here. Shinrin has some of the best security. The vents are probably booby trapped or rigged with monitors and sensors."

"If that's true then how did that Ninjamon get in?" Impmon pointed out.

"It's worth a shot, Ryo," Monodramon said gently.

Ryo nodded and they all headed back into the common room of the tower. He located the closest vent, dragged a chair over for him to stand on, and began to work at it until he had the cover off.

"You have got to be kidding me," Ryo groaned.

"Is it full of those laser thingies like in the movies?" Mako asked nervously.

"Quite the opposite kid," Ryo laughed. "There's nothing."

Mako and Impmon traded excited smiled.

"Well, Cowboy?" Impmon said smugly. "Are yous goin in first or should I?"

Ryo looked back into the vent and frowned. It was a pretty large air vent, but he'd still have to travel on his hands and knees. Impmon however was small enough to stand upright in the space and maneuver freely; making it easy for him for sneak a peek around turns in the vents.

"You go in," Ryo sighed, angling his body away from the vent so that Impmon could clamber in first.

Impmon walked to the end of the vent without setting off any alarms, so Ryo deemed it officially safe for travel. He then lifted Monodramon in, then Mako, and finally pulled himself into the space while trying to put the cover back on the vent. It was a tighter squeeze the he'd originally thought, but Ryo was able to snap the cover back on from the inside before facing the long stretch of ventilation ahead. Impmon had one of his fireballs floating at the tip of his finger to provide some light.

"Yous done yet?" the small Digimon asked.

"Yeah," Ryo sighed, his back already aching from being hunched over.

"Great, but I feel like I should tell yous somethin first," Impmon said nervously.

"What?" Ryo and Mako asked, Ryo having a sinking feeling in his gut.

"Yous was right about alarms," Impmon said grimly, pointing to a device on the wall of the vent. "They's got em, but they ain't workin."

"Great," Ryo groaned. "Let's get moving then. We might get lucky and run into Takuya before any of the Castle's guards do."

The four of them then proceeded to make their way down the vent that traveled in a fairly straightforward manner, yet at a constant downward slant as they continued down to the next floor. Mako and Impmon were able to move with relative ease while Ryo and Monodramon had to be mindful of their movements if they didn't want to create enough noise to alert the castle's staff that someone was in the vents. Thankfully they found an exit before they came across any forks in the vent and before the slant could become any steeper. Ryo was relieved to be able to stretch out his now cramped muscles, but as he did so he looked around the room they'd found themselves in, making a note of it in the map of the castle he was formulating in his mind. It always helped to know where they'd been in case they had to back track.

"What now?" Mako asked the older boy.

"We continue to go down," Ryo told him. "We need to find someone that we can trust to inform the castle staff that their security has been compromised."

"Someone we trust?" Mako blinked, uncomprehendingly. "Like Takuya?"

"He'd be ideal," Ryo admitted, "but we have no idea where we are, let alone where we can find him. That other Renamon or even Swanmon would be good Digimon to inform. I wouldn't want to inform someone we haven't already met, and unfortunately the list is rather short."

"Why can't we just inform the first guard we see?" Mako asked.

"Because the alarms in the vents were turned off Mako," Impmon said. "That means that someone is workin on the inside with someone on the outside. Right Cowboy?"

"Right," Ryo sighed. "We can't trust just any Digimon. What if we run into the insider? They'd get rid of us before we could tell the right Mon. No, it's best if we stay hidden until we find someone we can trust. If you're scared Mako, you can go back up with Impmon and wait for Monodramon and I to come back."

"No," Mako shook his head. "I wanna help!"

Ryo smiled and patted the small boy on the head.

"Alright, but remember, stick close to me and Impmon."

Mako nodded.

"Let's go," Ryo said softly as he peeked out the only door leading in or out of the room. There was only an empty hallway, but Ryo make sure to be extra careful about any security devices that had been left on by the castle's security saboteur. This made the process agonizingly slow, but the two boys and Digimon managed to make it all the way down without getting caught to the level where the courtyard they'd seen the Ninjamon ambush the Knightmon. Ryo was reluctant to take the group out into the open where they'd be exposed, but there was nowhere else to go if they wanted to keep moving forward. Mako clutched his sleeve apprehensively as they slowly made their way out into the night air. The little boy was still barefoot in his pajamas, while Ryo was clad in his day clothes that he hadn't bothered to change out of even after everyone else went to bed.

"Where do we go now, Cowboy?" Impmon asked quietly as they skirted the wall of the castle, trying to keep to the shadows as much as possible.

"You will come with me," said a low and cross sounding voice. "And explain to me why you are out of the tower sneaking around the castle grounds."

Mako gave a startled cry, clinging hard onto Ryo's arm. Monodramon tensed for attack and Impmon prepared to fire off a couple shots, but Ryo signaled both of them to stand down as they saw the green-eyed Renamon emerge from the shadows. She looked really mad.

"Looking for you actually," Ryo said calmly so as not to provoke the angry Digimon guard. "You have a breach in security. We saw a Knightmon get ambushed by a Ninjamon earlier."

"Ambushed, you say? …How did you get down here?" the fox Digimon demanded, her tail swishing back and forth in agitation.

"Through the vents sweetheart," Impmon said smugly. "Yous got a major laps in security."

"Impmon," Ryo said warningly, but Renamon's eyes widened.

"If the alarms in the ventilation are down-!" Renamon didn't finished what she was saying because she suddenly broke off midsentence and shoved Ryo and Mako to the ground.

Something whizzed over their heads and imbedded itself in the wall behind them where Renamon's head had been only seconds ago. It was a ninja star.

"Damn," Ryo swore and pulled out his D-Power. "Monodramon!"

Monodramon nodded and Digivolved into Cyberdramon. Renamon tensed beside Ryo. Though whether it was because the enemy had tried to delete her and she was preparing to attack, or because Ryo had Monodramon digivolve, he wasn't certain.

"Let us take care of these guys," Ryo told her just as four Ninjamon emerged from the shrubbery on the other side of the courtyard. "You need to inform the rest of the castle guard that you've got intruders. I'm willing to bet that these aren't the first Ninjamon to infiltrate the castle grounds. You're going to need our help."

Renamon stared at the human for a long time. Mako thought that she was going to argue with him, but Renamon gave a swift nod of the head before disappearing into the night.

"I leave this to you then," her voice whispered softly on the breeze.

"Ninja Knife Throw!" the four Ninjamon chorused as they threw more of the ninja stars at Cyberdramon and Impmon. Impmon just barely managed to avoid getting hit, but Cyberdramon made sure to take most of the attacks head on, negating them with his digi-zoid armored plating.

"Impmon!" Mako cried worriedly, willing Impmon to Digivolve into Beelzemon, but his Digimon partner remained as he was.

"You two have to get out of here," Ryo said grimly.

"No!" Mako cried, shaking his head. "We can't leave you alone!"

"Mako listen to me," Ryo said, taking the boy by the shoulders. "We're going to need some help. Have Impmon take you back up to the tower and wake some of the others. I'm not asking you to run away, I'm asking for you to be brave and get some help. Ninjamon are Champion level Digimon. Cyberdramon is an Ultimate. We'll be fine on our own for a while until you can get us some help."

Mako thought it over for a moment, but finally nodded in agreement and called Impmon back. The two were halfway back to the shelter of the castle when Mako tripped over something and a fifth Ninjamon came out of nowhere. Impmon skidded to a halt.

"Mako!"

The little boy looked up, terrified, as the Ninjamon pulled back his arm in preparation to throw his ninja star. Impmon race back to stand in front of his human partner, throwing his arms out wide, waiting for the attack to strike him when Mako's D-Power suddenly lit up and emitted a loud keening sound. Impmon then felt a power course through his body and he knew in that instant that he was Digivolving.

"DigiVolution," an electronic voice emitting from Mako's D-Power announced.

"Impmon digivolve toooo…! Boogeymon!"

Mako gasped as Impmon's place was taken by a Digimon he'd never seen before. It was a red imp covered from head to foot in purple markings and symbols. It had a barbed tail like Impmon had and pointed teeth, but this Digimon had horns on his head and a pair of purple wings on his back.

"Back off!" the new Digimon cried, leveling his black three-pronged pitchfork at the Ninjamon. "No one attacks one of my humans and gets away with it. Are you alright Mako?"

"You… Digivolved," Mako whispered, looking at the profile on that came up on his D-Power. "Boogeymon… You did it! You Digivolved Impmon!"

"You bet I did," Boogeymon smirked. "Now get back to Ryo and let me take care of ninja boy here."

Mako nodded, racing back to where he'd left Ryo. Boogeymon made sure that the boy had made it back safely before focusing on his opponent.

"Now who's afraid of the Boogeymon?" he grinned at the lone Ninjamon, who suddenly didn't look too confidant now.

* * *

Sweet! Impmon Digivolved! But will it be enough to help Cyberdramon take on the Ninjamon? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

* * *

Yay! new chapter! Hope you liked it folks. I made it a little longer for your enjoyment.

Those of you who didn't pay any attention to my little notice at the beginning of the month, please know that I wrote a side story for this fic. Parent Worries is UGotD from the parents' side of things. I've only got 2 chapters and a prologue up, but hopefully it'll catch up fast to where I'm at in this fic. :P I just couldn't come up with a way to integrate the things going on in the parent's end into this fic, so i just decided that I needed to give them a fic of their own. Please know that both stories are going to intersect at some point, so you may want to check PW out.

For those of you who don't know the updating schedule that I've set up for myself, Parent Worries is posted on Mondays and Drowning Memories will be posted on Fridays weekly, but I'm afraid that this fic will only be updated every other week, so that I can catch PW up with it. When that happens I'll start updating this fic weekly too. I hope you all liked this chapter, please review and I'll see you guys the wednesday after next for chapter 42!


	42. Boogeymon

OMG finally! TToTT I've been failing at life ever since laybor day so yesterday just plain sucked with missing classes and roommate drama... Main point of my failure is that I failed to finish and update chapter 4 of Parent Worries, and got my first real angry message last night... I'M SORRY!

To make it up to you readers I plan to post chapter 4 on monday as planed, but (hopefully) I'll be able to post chapter 5 on wednesday so that I'm up to date with my updates. Again, I apologize to those of you who waited around monday and tuesday for a new PW chapter but didn't get one. It's coming!... you'll just have to wait until next monday to get it... TTxTT

ANYWHO... right. CHAPTER 42 OF UGotD IS HERE! YAY! I stayed up late just to make sure that I didn't miss this deadline. It's a little shorter than I'd like, but it's still got a lot in it... i think. XD

this chapter is focused on Ryo and Mako again so I hope that you enjoy reading it and PLEASE review!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER, OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

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Chapter 42: Boogeymon

Ryo allowed himself a moment to gawk at the newly evolved Champion Digimon after he ushered Mako back to a safer place to watch their Digimon take on the Ninjamon. Boogeymon was currently grappling with the one Ninjamon with his pitchfork while Cyberdramon was beating back the four others with his claws and swipes of his tail, becoming increasingly frustrated since he couldn't just take them out one at a time when they were all ganging up on him like that.

Boogeymon let out a loud laugh as he shoved his opponent back and came after him with a quick follow up attack, giving the Ninjamon no time to recover. Finally he had his opponent right where he wanted him. The moment Ninjamon looked up and made eye contact, the demon imp Digimon knew he had him.

"Ruby Eye!"

Ninjamon froze, caught in Boogeymon's deadly gaze.

"Attack the others," Boogeymon ordered, pointing his pitchfork to the four other Ninjamon that Cyberdramon was fighting.

"Attack…" Ninjamon drawled, turning towards his allies. "…Attack! Ninja Knife Throw!"

The other Ninjamon were caught off guard when a familiar attack just barely missed them.

"Hey!" the Ninjamon that had nearly been hit cried indignantly. "Fool! You could have-!"

"Desolation Claw!"

Cyberdramon hadn't given the distracted ninja Digimon a chance to finish speaking before deleting him. One down four to go.

"So Boogeymon can control other Digimon," Mako whispered in awe. "Awesome!"

"Not for long apparently," Ryo said grimly.

"Huh?" Mako blinked, turning his focus back to his Digimon partner who was now fighting with the Ninjamon again.

Boogeymon grunted under the weight of his opponent's next attack. Ninjamon was pissed about being controlled and forced to attack its ally.

"Death Crash!" Boogeymon growled as he swung his pitchfork back and batted the annoying Ninjamon away from him. Before the attack made contact with the Ninjamon the symbols on Boogeymon's arms glowed, lending the attack a power boost. Ninjamon was sent flying into one of the other Ninjamon Cyberdramon was fighting and with another "Desolation Claw!" another Ninjamon was deleted.

"Need a hand?" Boogeymon snickered wearily as he joined Cyberdramon to face the three remaining Ninjamon. Cyberdramon growled, but nodded. Boogeymon readied himself for the next round when he noticed that the markings on his arms that had glowed during his last attack had faded and were now gone. He realized that he was going to have to use his attacks more sparingly if they were going to use up all of the spell markings etched into his skin. If he'd had a mirror to look in, Boogeymon would have noticed that the tattoo over his left eye had vanished as well after using his Ruby Gaze attack.

Before the two partner Digimon or the three Ninjamon could attack, however, a platoon of Knightmon surround them, ready for battle.

"We've got you surrounded!" the lead knight Digimon announced. "Surrender!"

The Ninjamon looked like they were about to do no such thing, but after a command from Ryo, Boogeymon and Cyberdramon backed down, allowing the nearest Knightmon arrest them without a fight.

"Boogeymon! Are you alright?" Mako asked as he and Ryo emerged from their hiding place to join them. The Knightmon were quick to arrest the two boys as well, but all that Mako seemed to care about was the condition of his Digimon partner. Ryo looked irritated, but was putting up with it.

"You kidding?" Boogeymon grinned at the little boy. "We coulda handled those creeps even if the Calvary hadn't showed."

Mako laughed while Ryo and Cyberdramon let out tired sighs, more than used to the Digimon's boasting no matter what form he took.

"Release the DigiDestined and their partners," Renamon's voice ordered just moments before she actually appeared. "They are not to be harmed. Lord Seiryuumon wishes to speak with them."

The Knightmon were quick to follow her orders and the four were unbound.

"Now about these Ninjamon…" Renamon mused as she broke through the circle of Knightmon and approached the intruders. "What is your purpose here?"

"Geez," Ryo muttered so that only Mako and their Digimon could hear. "They break into your castle and you actually have to ask that?"

One of the Ninjamon smiled and Ryo suddenly got a bad feeling.

"You may have caught us, fox, but this is only the beginning!"

"Ninja Knife Throw!" the three Ninjamon cried as they tried to break their way out of the Knightmon's guard, but none of the Ultimate level Digimon yielded. Renamon gave a signal to the knight Digimon and the Ninjamon were deleted in a matter of seconds. Renamon turned her back to the scene of carnage and motioned for the two DigiDestined and their partner Digimon to follow her. Two Knightmon fell into step behind them to act as a rear guard. The trip was a long and quiet one as Ryo and Mako found themselves led up and down stairs, and down hallways and corridors before they found themselves inside the seating room where they'd waited for Takuya and Zoe to have their meeting with Lord – Lady – Seiryuumon.

"Wait here please," Renamon said, her green eyes flashing in the dim lighting. "I'll announce you."

Ryo nodded, but it didn't escape his notice that the two Knightmon had hung back, blocking their only exit. Ryo wanted to sigh out loud. Did Renamon seriously think that they would try to make a run for it? The castle was a maze. She'd said so herself when she'd first brought them here.

"Lord Seiryuumon is ready for you now," Renamon said, opening the door for them.

Ryo felt Mako shiver next to him and Ryo was once again reminded that the poor kid was still barefoot in his pajamas. He tried to wrap a comforting – and hopefully warm – arm around Mako's shoulders as they were ushered into a grand audience chamber.

Tall pillars stretched delicately to the high thirty-foot tall ceilings like pale tree trunks. Maybe they were tree trunks. Ryo wouldn't put it past any Digital World to have such breathtaking architecture. Pale golden vines were wrapped daintily around these pillars and seemed to create the most delicate etchings and symbols when they spread and intertwined across the ceiling. The floor was composed entirely of the softest looking wood, but room has such an earthy quality that it made Ryo believe that the wooden floor was merely an illusion and that the floor was actually a field of sweet smelling grass. There was hardly any furniture aside from a few chairs and benches that lined the walls and the large golden throne that sat at the end of the grand chamber on a dais. Seated in the lovely chair that appeared to be made of the same wood and vines as the pillars was probably the most bewitching woman Ryo had ever seen.

Long wavy golden hair flowed like waves over the woman's shoulders in the front while the back was done up in an elegant and complicated bun of braids decorated with an assortment of flowers and beads. A tiara of golden flowers completed the look. The woman's eyes were a piercing gold color with flecks of silver in the large orbs that reminded Ryo of a beautiful doe's. But the shape and color only confirmed that she was a Digimon and not a human. The woman's face portrayed both youth and old age, giving her a timeless and unearthly quality and her robes were made of layers of thin material in rich greens, pale lavenders and pinks making her look like a fairy or an elf.

Ryo didn't realize that he was staring at her until Mako squeezed his hand nervously. No one had spoken – Ryo surly would have heard them speak – but he was only now awear that Takuya was also present in the room seated in a chair to his right before the throne. Takuya looked a little amused but also a little embarrassed. For what, Ryo could only guess, but he was glad that he and Mako wouldn't be alone with the unearthly ruler of this section of the Digital World.

Swanmon suddenly appeared and placed another chair down next to Takuya's and gestured for Ryo to take a seat in it. Ryo was about to protest and suggest that Mako take the seat instead, but the younger boy was already pushing Ryo towards the seat. Takuya let out a soft chuckle that echoed loudly around the chamber regardless. Once Ryo was seated, Takuya pulled Mako up onto his lap and wrapped the little boy in a cloak that had been hanging off the back of his chair. It must have been warm or Takuya had done something to heat it up because Mako let out a happy sigh and snuggled deeper into the cloak's folds. Boogeymon and Cyberdramon took up positions behind their seated partners.

"The seats are rather cold for someone only in their pajamas," Takuya offered up as an explanation as Ryo looked curiously at the… hybrid? Halfling? Ryo wasn't really sure what to refer to Takuya as anymore. He was much more than a boy, but he wasn't entirely a Digimon either and hybrid just sounded so… stereotypical, like something out of a science fiction flick and calling Takuya a Halfling always made Ryo think that he was calling Takuya a hobbit or something from Lord of the Rings.

"If seating arrangements have been settled then I suggest that we move on to discuss the matter at hand," a soft and commanding voice rang out clearly through the chamber.

Ryo almost jumped in his seat. He had not expected a strong voice of such… authority and power to come from the dainty being in front of them. This was obviously not a woman/Digimon to cross. Mako looked rather startled as well. Now Ryo knew why the woman was called a Lord instead of a Lady. In spite of her appearance, this woman would not take the title of "Lady" as a compliment, but rather as a title that was demeaning her role as one of the four powerful rulers of this Digital World.

"Of course," Takuya smiled up at _Lord_ Seiryuumon.

Seiryuumon turned her golden gaze upon Ryo and now he was nervous in spite of Cyberdramon and the others' presence. Just how did Takuya stand being _alone_ with the female ruler?

"I'd be interested in hearing the excuse for why you and the other three are out of the observational tower young man," Seiryuumon spoke briskly.

"Ah… W-we…" Ryo gulped before mentally scolding himself. '_Get a grip on yourself Akiyama!'_ "…We saw a disturbance in the courtyard below and decided to investigate. There was no time to alert the next guard to come through the courtyard below and no one would have come up to the tower until Swanmon would have arrived to deliver us our breakfast."

Seiryuumon's gaze was unwavering as Ryo continued with his explanation about how they'd discovered the faulty security in the vent system and how they'd made their way to the courtyard and alerted Renamon.

"…I see," Seiryuumon mused to herself when Ryo finished talking. "In that case… your actions should be commended. The situation could have become much worse than it had because of your actions."

Ryo blinked, surprised, as Seiryuumon's stare melted into a more welcoming gaze and her full lips curved into a breath taking smile.

"What is to be done now?" Takuya asked.

"…I'm afraid that now we wait," Seiryuumon sighed. "I've sent Renamon out to gather information about the situation as it stands. More Ninjamon had been found, but I have a feeling that the warning we were given about this only being the beginning was no idle threat."

"…You're expecting an attack," Takuya stated.

Ryo frowned and Mako looked alarmed. Boogeymon and Cyberdramon traded nervous glances. The two of them had just barely been able to handle those five Ninjamon alone before the Knightmon had come.

"I do," Seiryuumon smiled sadly. "The prophecy foretells it."

Ryo and Takuya shared weary looks. Ryo had almost forgotten about that stupid thing. There was still that last line to come true.

"Young and strong, the new Warrior will become the strongest of the Warriors and lead them to the fall of Pride and allow Wind to take up the final medallion and ward off Gluttony. United and strong once again, the chosen ones will prepare for their search for the Stones and Crystals on their mission to purge the world of its evils," Seiryuumon recited dreamily. "But at what price? What will happen to those caught up in this battle that is surely to come?"

"What makes you think that it hasn't already started?" Takuya sighed.

Seiryuumon looked at Takuya with wide golden eyes.

"Think about it," Takuya said, leaning forward in his chair moving Mako over on his lap to sit on one knee. "The Ninjamon were obviously an advanced scouting party. They'd done their job and compromised your security. This city is no longer safe for its residents. The battle prophesized is sure to be upon us within a matter of hours. An enemy like the Zaigou will strike while the iron is still hot, leaving you with very little respite."

"If that's the case then Shinrin should be evacuated," Ryo said grimly. "The Zaigou only care about getting rid of us DigiDestined. They could are less about Digimon that they are confidant they could force into submission or delete if necessary. We saw as much in Sekizou."

Takuya nodded.

"My Lord!"

Ryo, Takuya and Mako whirled around in their seats to see Renamon dash across the polished wooden floors and come to kneel before Seiryuumon.

"Renamon?" Seiryuumon frowned. "What do you have to report?"

"It's the Zaigou," Renamon growled. "They're finally making their move. The Jetakumon are trying their best to hold them off, but they've carved a tunnel up through the center of the mountain and are leading an army to our position! They're already at the city's gates!"

"Ah!" gasped all those present in the room.

"Evacuate the entire city starting with the outer levels and residents in immediate danger!" Seiryuumon ordered. "Get every civilian out through the emergency tunnel system under the palace. Hopefully the Zaigou haven't managed to tamper with them yet."

"My Lord," Renamon bowed her head, but before she could vanish to carry out her orders, Ryo stood up from his seat.

"Allow me to accompany her," Ryo stated boldly, bowing deeply to the Digital ruler.

Renamon righted herself and looked at the human boy oddly.

"Why do you wish to help, boy?" Seiryuumon asked, her golden eyes narrowing.

"Because the Zaigou are here to fight the DigiDestined," Ryo responded, not allowing the ruler's golden glare to intimidate him this time. "It's our fault that they are here attacking this city. I merely wish to help get the innocent and defenseless Digimon out of here."

Cyberdramon came to stand by Ryo's side as he spoke, agreeing full heartedly with his human's decision.

"…Very well," Seiryuumon finally consented after watching the human boy stare her down. "Go with Renamon."

"Thank you," Ryo and Cyberdramon bowed.

"I wanna go too!" Mako cried, jumping down from Takuya's lap. "Boogeymon and I can help too!"

Ryo smiled sadly at the little boy.

"I'm sorry Mako, but I'm not letting you come along this time," he stated, squatting down in front of the four-year-old. "It's too dangerous."

"But-!" Mako began to protest but Takuya placed a hand on his head and Ryo placed both of his on Mako's shoulders.

"But what about Ai?" Ryo asked. "Your sister needs you Mako. Who's going to protect her if you and Boogeymon aren't there for her? Boogeymon's her Digimon partner too. I'm sure he's a lot stronger when he's got both of you there to protect. Digimon are amazing that way."

"But…" Mako protested feebly, but from the way his shoulders drooped under Ryo's hold the older boy knew that Mako understood.

"He won't be alone little buddy," Takuya smiled, kneeling down next to Mako. "He's got Renamon and Cyberdramon with him. Besides, I'll be going too."

"What?" Ryo, Renamon and Seiryuumon exclaimed in unison.

"Someone's gotta hold off the Zaigou and at the moment I'm probably the only one capable of taking one of them head on and surviving."

"Or combusting," Ryo muttered, but Takuya just laughed it off.

"Well there's that too, but I'd rather not think about that alternative," Takuya smiled jokingly.

"…Are you sure?" Seiryuumon asked, the concern obvious on her face.

Ryo was puzzled for a moment before he remembered that Seiryuumon was supposedly Takuya's spirit partner, Agunimon's mother. He saw Takuya's eyes flicker from golden brown to crystal blue momentarily, but there was no change in the determined set of Takuya's features as he nodded.

"…Very well," Seiryuumon sighed. "The two of you will go with Renamon, while Swanmon takes the young one back to the other DigiDestined. They will meet up with you during the evacuation of the city."

Ryo, Cyberdramon and Takuya both bowed before leaving Mako and Boogeymon behind to follow Renamon. Mako watched the older boys leave and continued to stare after them even after they were gone.

"Mako," Swanmon said gently, wrapping one of her wings around the boy.

"…'Kay," Mako sighed as he allowed Swanmon to guide him back up to the observation tower with Boogeymon right behind him.

When they reached the tower's rooms they were greeted by chaos. Obviously the DigiDestined and heard the commotion below them in the courtyard, but from what Mako could hear, there was more panic about where he was then about what had happened. Finally someone noticed the new comers presence.

"Mako!"

Mako started as Jeri launched herself at him, crying.

"Thank _God_," she gasped as she hugged him. "How on earth did you get out of here? Thank you so much for finding him Swanmon."

"Mako!" he heard Ai's angry voice. "I was worried about you stupid! Where were you and Impmon? …Where is Impmon?"

The DigiDestined were only now noticing that Mako did not have his shared Digimon partner with him, but Swanmon and a Digimon none of them had seen before. In answer to Ai's question, all Mako could do was point up at Boogeymon, a wide smile breaking out over his face.

"He Digivolved Ai," Mako beamed. "I was in trouble and Impmon digivolved into Boogeymon to save me!"

Ai gawked as she looked up amazed at the red demon Digimon. She didn't want to admit it, but Boogeymon scared her.

"Boogeymon," she heard the computer kid say. "Champion form of Impmon. Boogeymon is a Demon Man Digimon who likes to lie in ambush amidst the darkness before suddenly striking at his foe with his Death Crush attack. The weird tattoos on his body are actually evil spells, but only a certain number of tattoos can be used for each incantation. His other attack, Ruby Eye, can entrance his opponent and put them under his control for a short period of time. This attack can only be used once for every tattoo on his face.

"Well that would explain where the markings on my arms went," Boogeymon mused as he glanced at his bare arms.

"I-Impmon?" Ai gasped.

"Boogeymon now," the Champion leveled Digimon grinned, but those pointed teeth sent chills up her spine. She tried to smile back – she really did – but Boogeymon was really… scary.

"So where's Ryo?" Rika huffed. "He's missing too, so I assumed that he was with you guys."

"Oh!" Mako gasped before launching excitedly into retelling what had happened over the last few hours from when Ryo had seen the one Knightmon get ambushed by a Ninjamon in the courtyard to Impmon digivolving and to the meeting with Seiryuumon. Everyone had listened with rapt attention, all the girls (minus Rika) gasping and ah-ing in all the right places making Mako even more enthusiastic in his retelling of events. When he neared the end of his story though he needed Boogeymon and Swanmon to help him out with the finer details of the conversation, but after he was finished it was very quiet.

"…So Takuya and Ryo are out there now?" Zoe said worriedly, glancing out the sliding door to the pale grey sky.

"Yes," Swanmon nodded. "It's still relatively quiet out so that must mean that the Zaigou have yet to reach the inner sanction of the city yet. I'm under orders from Lord Seiryuumon to get you all to the evacuation tunnels. Your friends should be there helping the citizens of Shinrin evacuate as we speak."

"You heard her," Tai spoke up. "Pack up your things, get dressed for travel, and lets get the hell out of here."

It was then a flurry of movement as Mako was taken back to the boy's room with Henry to change out of his pajamas and into his travel clothes. Fifteen minutes later everyone was gathered in the common room again.

"So where are these evacuation tunnels you spoke of?" Tai asked once he performed a head count to make sure every human and Digimon was accounted for (with the exception of Ryo, Takuya and Cyberdramon of course).

"There is an entrance below the castle in the basement. It hooks up to the main passage where all the other entrances throughout the city come out. I'm sure you'll be able to find the other two boys down, but it'll be crowded and chaotic with the entire city evacuation down there."

"Right," Tai nodded, looking around. "Here's the plan guys. We'll follow Swanmon down to these tunnels, but the moment we merge with the traffic from the other tunnels I want you all to try to stick together with at least one person in case you get separated. I don't want anybody to end up alone down there, so pick a partner to travel with and stick close to that person no matter what happens."

"Use the buddy system!" Mako and Ai stated, holding each other's hands up in the air.

"Right," Tai nodded. "Everyone got a partner?"

After everyone nodded Tai gestured for Swanmon to lead the way.

* * *

Whoa, talk about a rushed move. I hope everyone makes it to the tunnels alright. Will they be able to find Ryo and Takuya in all the chaos? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

* * *

Yay! now that i go over this chapter again i see that we really did get to see quite a bit in this chapter and we finally met Lord Seiryuumon! So what did you think of her? When I was writing her, I have to admit that I may have had Olivier Armstrong from Fullmetal Alchemist in mind... at least her voice at any rate. A lovely woman who's a formidable force on the battle field! I might have been watching too much lord of the rings again and i think it kinda shows... oh well. :P might have been where i subconsciously gotten the term Halfling for takuya from anyway. XD

And ai's afraid of Boogeymon! :O

...well that's kind of expected. Boogeymon is kind of freaky looking. He'd look cool to a boy like Mako who's just excited that Impmon managed to digivolve. I think that the chapter should either be in Tai's, Ryo's, or takuya's POV... let me know what you think in a review or a PM or on my facebook page... or I could just put up a poll and you can give your opinion there... yeah I think I'll put up a poll. either way, let me know what you think! your opinion counts! this is a fanfiction and the fans should get to decide! I'm just the humble author that this story is using as a medium to get out to you all... PLEASE REVIEW!


	43. Pride Part 1

Hey readers! Sorry for the long wait! I've just been dropping the ball these last couple of weeks. This chapter isn't nearly as long as I had wanted it, but I just couldn't let another week go by without another UGotD update so what was supposed to be one long ass chapter is now split into 2 (possibly 3) parts. This is part 1. Part 2 will be released next week. Again sorry for the long wait (this should have technically been posted last week so thank you for not sending me nasty grams). I hope you enjoy and that this chapter was worth the wait. The main POV was spit between Tai and Takuya, but I got some Ryo in there as well. PLEASE review!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 43: Pride - Part 1

The Digital World: Location: Shinrin Palace Front Gates

Takuya took a deep breath as he and Ryo boarded the back of yet another Jetakumon with Cyberdramon and Renamon. His nerves were tingling and he could feel the growing force of his powers welling up and churning in his gut. He always grew nervous before a confrontation, but this time his nerves were already near their breaking point. It was still dark out which meant that his powers were more unstable than he'd like. He'd have to try to keep it together until sunrise. Without Tai around, his Digimon half was a danger to himself and everyone around him. It could easily overwhelm him in the heat of battle and take control of his human half without his bonding partner there to keep his powers from "overloading" (as Izzi had once put it).

He knew that it was a stupid risk, but he didn't like the idea of Ryo going off on his own even if he had Cyberdramon with him. None of the DigiDestined should be on their own in this Digital World. He'd been alone after getting taken away from the others and that had resulted in torture and a rather painful and drawn out death. That was a fate that Takuya didn't wish on anyone and wanted to protect the others from.

"You ok?"

Takuya blinked before looking up and smiled at Ryo.

"I'm fine," Takuya chuckled "Just a little on edge. I'm always a little tense before a battle."

Ryo frowned.

"We're only helping Renamon evacuate civilians, Takuya. We're not going to be fighting."

"Wanna bet?" Takuya sighed. "Please don't ever underestimate the Zaigou Ryo. They're cruel bastards that would like nothing better than to toy with us before ultimately deleting us one digital byte at a time. I can promise you that. The army is merely a distraction. The real fight will come from within the city's walls. By helping evacuate this city's citizens we'll draw the Zaigou out into the open. In a way Ryo, you've just volunteered yourself to be bait."

Ryo eyed Takuya wearily, not liking the serious manner of which the other was speaking in spite of his casual tone.

Cyberdramon growled, also uncomfortable with the idea of being bait.

"What are you talking about Halfling?" Renamon demanded.

"The army that is knocking at Shinrin's gate is the Zaigou's but have any of the Zaigou themselves been sighted yet?"

Renamon stared hard at Takuya, her green eyes flashing.

"…No," the fox Digimon growled reluctantly.

"Then we are all walking into a trap," Takuya smiled sadly, clasping his hands behind the back of his head. "The Zaigou won't reveal themselves until we do. The DigiDestined are their main target. Destroying Shinrin City – the last true sanctuary for Digimon in this world is just a bonus. They're simply making a show of it with this army of theirs. It's a typical smoke and mirrors tactic. They've sent in a large force to distract you and Shinrin's military forces from their true intensions. The Zaigou will sneak in with the army, but will quickly disengage from the fighting to hide from some safe vantage point until one of their spies has located the DigiDestined… or me."

Ryo's head snapped up.

"What?" he gasped.

"How can you know that those are their intentions?" Renamon asked.

"I had one of those bastards inside of my head for a few days," Takuya growled – actually growled! "You can't even imagine what kind of sick twisted thoughts go on in those heads of theirs."

Ryo looked at Takuya – a little shocked to hear such words spoken so bitterly from someone who was usually optimistic – and couldn't help but feel sorry for the other. Takuya had been through so much and even though he and the others knew what had happened, they couldn't even begin to image what it must have felt like.

"Why do you think they'll be after you specifically?" Ryo asked. "What will make them come after you and not the others?"

Takuya flashed him a smile.

"Because they want me dead more then the rest of you," he grinned.

Ryo blinked. Was that really something to be happy about?

"And why's that?" Cyberdramon asked.

"Because I'm just as powerful as they are," Takuya stated. "They'll come after me because I'm still in a vulnerable state right now and easier to take out. I'm not nearly as strong as I should be at the moment, and it will be far too tempting for them to try and take me out before I can cause them and their master any more trouble. My rebirth was unexpected. They know about the prophecy too, but had been expecting a new Warrior of Flame, not the rebirth of an old one. They already underestimate me because of what I am. Lets just hope that that works in our favor after my failure in the desert."

"…Should I be worried that you aren't at full strength?" Ryo asked nervously.

"Depends," Takuya shrugged.

"On what?" Ryo sighed exasperatedly.

"On whether you believe in the prophecy or not," Takuya smiled.

Ryo groaned.

"We're here," Renamon announced as the Jetakumon banked in for a landing.

There were already dozens of Tankmon lined along the city's walls, firing at the Zaigou's army that was gathering on the other side. There were Onnamon running about guiding citizens down the main street and – in spite of the cannon fire from the Tankmon – were managing to keep the evacuation orderly amid the growing panic. The Jetakumon landed in a courtyard just outside the main gate and the moment his passengers had disembarked, he took off into the skies again.

"You three will help the Onnamon gather the stragglers and lead them to the second tier barrier where the entrance to the evacuation tunnels can be found below," Renamon ordered. "If the Zaigou's army should breech the gate, help provide cover for the citizens until everyone is behind the second barrier and into the tunnels below. I must insist that you do NOT engage the enemy unless there is no other alternative."

Ryo, Cyberdramon and Takuya nodded before she took off for the main gate to join the main force of Shinrin's army.

"Let's get to work Ryo," Takuya sighed before taking off to help an Onnamon who was guiding a family of Elecmon onto the main streets to join the evacuating crowd.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Shinrin Palace

Tai looked about nervously from the head of the group as the DigiDestined followed Swanmon down into the lower levels of the castle. They passed battle ready Knightmon and frantic palace staff rushing and darting around corners and down hallways in all directions. Swanmon took them through secret passages that were obviously short cuts to avoid the main traffic before ending up in the basement level where they were joined by all of the Rookie and weaker Champion level Digimon that worked in the castle. Once everyone was apparently assembled Swanmon stepped forward and tapped at a few of the tiles on the wall. After a moment she pressed in a tile and pulled down on a torch hanging nearby. The room shook a little as the hidden door to the underground tunnels was revealed. Tai looked around at his group to make sure that everyone still had their "buddy" while Swanmon ushered the other Digimon into the tunnels. He took a torch from Swanmon after all of the Digimon were evacuated from the basement level.

"Stick together everyone," Tai told those behind him before entering the tunnels himself.

The tunnels weren't too different from the ones that the DigiDestined were used to traveling in over the last couple of weeks. The only difference was that a light source wasn't magically provided for them. At first there were only the nervous mutterings of the castle staff ahead of them, but suddenly the whole ground began to shake. It only lasted for a couple of seconds, but it was enough to send panic through a group of scared Rookie Digimon.

"Easy everyone!" Tai cried out. "It was only a minor quake!"

"The Zaigou's armies have breached the gate!" one Floramon shrieked and others took up her cry.

"We don't know that," Tai said calmly over the frantic Digimon. "It could be the Knightmon. I'm sure that we're perfectly safe down here. Lets just keep moving."

"The human is right," Swanmon told the others. "We are far from harm. Our forces at the outer gates are engaging the enemy. We will be safe if we continue downwards into the safety of the lower tunnels that reside deep within the mountain. Now lets not waste time standing around."

The Digimon muttered to themselves for a moment, but gradually began to move forwards again, this time at a slightly quicker pace.

"Makes you wonder what Ryo and Takuya are facing with the danger practically at their backs," Mai whispered.

"No kidding," Tai sighed. "Both boys are tough though so I'm sure they're fine."

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Shinrin City's First Tier

"I am most certainly NOT fine!" Ryo bellowed as Takuya helped him out of the rubble that was once a house.

The quake that Tai and the others had felt below ground had been the result of the Zaigou's forces blasting open one of the outer wall's gates. The shards of the shattered gate had flown everywhere and Takuya had shoved Ryo into the closest shelter available to them to avoid becoming collateral damage. Of course the same house that they'd taken shelter in had been crushed under a huge chunk that had once been part of the gate's left door.

"Geeze," Takuya sighed. "No need to bite my head off. I was only asking if you'd been hurt or something."

Ryo glared at the other boy and opened his mouth to say something about the rough way Takuya had shoved him, but ended up closing it. Now that he could see the other more clearly he realized that Takuya had taken a battering. Ryo was only dust covered and a little bruised from being dragged and thrown around. But Takuya was sporting cuts from flying shrapnel that he'd shielded Ryo from and had a rather serious looking gash on his left temple that was still oozing blood that dripped down his face and off his chin.

"Are _you_ ok?" Ryo asked, feeling like a complete jerk now.

"Hmm?" Takuya blinked. "Oh yeah. I'm fine."

Ryo raised an eyebrow, but didn't question him. He wasn't exactly sure if Takuya was even awear of his injuries.

"Ryo!"

Both boys looked up in time to spot Cyberdramon race towards them.

"We need to get out of here. All the civilians are evacuated to the second barrier," Cyberdramon informed them. "But we've got to leave now before they shut us out. This area is quickly being over run."

"Got it," Ryo nodded, boarding his Digimon's back, dragging Takuya along with him.

Once both boys were aboard Cyberdramon took to the skies, but had to execute dozens of aerials and flight maneuvers to avoid getting hits by an enemy flyer. Takuya occasionally had to off a shot using his limited fire wielding powers to help them loose a pursuer. Cyberdramon swooped into a low dive as they neared the first city barrier that marked the beginning of the city's second tier. They were immediately ushered in and the moment they were clear the barrier's gate was slammed closed and bolted. The Onnamon were on them in seconds, treating Takuya's minor injuries. Ryo almost laughed because it turned out that Takuya had indeed been unaware of the fact that he'd been injured at all.

"This guy," Ryo sighed. "No wonder Koji's such a wreck."

"Sirs, we must insist that you evacuate to the tunnels below before we seal it off," an Onnamon said as she finished treating Takuya's head wound.

"Sorry ma'am but that's a no can do," Takuya smiled. "We're here to help evacuated this city's citizens and I have no intention of leaving until all innocents are clear."

"Me neither," Ryo nodded.

"But-!" the Onnamon began but she was cut off.

"It's alright. Leave them be."

Ryo and Takuya turned in time to see the green eyed Renamon of Shinrin make one of her kind's magical appearances. She looked a little worse for wear, but there were no obvious signs of injury. The Onnamon bowed before moving on to treat other injured Digimon.

"Thank you for your help," Renamon nodded, "but Onnamon was right. You should join your friends below ground."

"That's not going to happen just yet," Takuya shook his head. "Not until all of Shinrin's citizens are in those tunnels. Besides, I have a feeling that the Zaigou are going to finally make their move soon. I can feel it."

Ryo frowned, but didn't speak up. It wasn't as if he could stop Takuya.

"…Very well," Renamon sighed. "Follow me."

Ryo and Cyberdramon traded weary glances before following Takuya and Renamon deeper into the city. The next hour was pretty much the same routine as it had been before the main gate had been blasted to pieces. They helped Digimon leave their homes and stores and led them to the main street where Onnamon were directing Digimon to the nearest entrance to the evacuation tunnels. They'd occasionally get a stubborn old Digimon that didn't want to move, but somehow Takuya always managed to talk the Digimon into leavening and sending them off to the tunnels in such a conversational way that it was if he and the Digimon were old friends. Ryo found Takuya's people (in this case Digimon) skills remarkable and was almost convinced that Takuya could talk anyone into doing anything after simply talking to them for a few minutes.

Of course it was only a matter of time before the Zaigou's armies had stormed the first barrier, and the two DigiDestined found themselves rushing for the second barrier aboard Cyberdramon's back before the third tier level closed. However this time they were so lucky. The gate had closed ahead of them due to the oncoming forces. Now Ryo and Takuya were cut off.

"At least all of this tiers citizens made it into the tunnels," Takuya grunted as Cyberdramon was forced to land and take shelter in an alleyway between two tall three-story buildings.

"Yeah," Ryo sighed, quickly dismounting from his partner's back. "Lets just hope that we can get out of here."

Takuya nodded grimly.

"I sure hope Tai has the others a good distance from here," the fire Halfling sighed.

"I'm sure the others are fine," Ryo sighed. "It's us I'm worried about. We're kinda outnumbered and at a disadvantage for the moment."

"…No we're not," Takuya suddenly grinned.

"Oh? How do you figure that?" Ryo asked sarcastically.

"Because the sun's finally up," Takuya beamed as a faint red line penetrated the once indigo colored sky.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Shinrin City's Second Tier

The series of tunnels below ground were chaotic as thousands of Digimon milled about trying to continue traveling deeper into the mountain. Tai found that he and the other DigiDestined were at a disadvantage for being such a large group. One moment they'd all be together and them Mimi, Michael, Willace and JP would be missing. Then the four would be back, but TK, Kari, Henry, Suzie, Koji and Koichi would be missing. Then they'd all be back again and some others would go missing. Finally at a juncture where one of the other evacuation tunnels connected to the main tunnel, Tai pulled off to the side with Mai, Matt, Sora and their Digimon. Others caught on and joined them until everyone was together again. Tai even did a head count just to make sure that everyone was accounted for.

"'Kay guys," Tai sighed. "It's pretty crazy down here and it's only get worse as this tunnel is joined by other tunnels. We're bound to get separated so we need a plan for where to meet up. Izzi, do we have an idea of where this tunnel comes out?"

"Negative," Izzi sighed.

"Mai?" Tai asked, but the red haired beauty shook her head.

"…All right everyone," Tai called out. "If you get separated from the group, plan to meet up in the nearest city. Which city would that be, Izzi?"

"…Himizu is the closest of the major cities," Izzi frowned, "but the closest of the larger townships is an area called Summer Fields… unfortunately it's on the boarder of Zaigou territory."

"What can you tell us about Summer Fields Mai?" Tai asked.

"It was once a beautiful tourist destination that was well known for its festivals," Mai mused. "My friends and I would go there often… In recent times though it's a pretty much a ghost town. It's under the Zaigou of Gluttony's control."

"Gluttony huh?" Tai frowned before grinning. "That's the Zaigou that Zoe's supposed to send packing isn't it?"

"It only said that Wind will ward off Gluttony," Ken pointed out. "There's no telling if she'll actually defeat him."

Zoe bit her lip nervously.

"I think it's a bit risky meeting up in a Zaigou's territory," Rika frowned. "I suggest that we just all agree to see each other in Himizu. We need to go there anyway to hear the next prophecy. And besides, what if we fail to meet up with Takuya and Ryo before we reach the end of the tunnels? How will they know to look for us at some other location?"

"She's got a point Tai," Matt nodded.

"Aww! Rika's concerned for Ryo! How sweet!" Mimi giggled, making the redhead flush.

"Don't be stupid!" Rika growled. "He's not the only one out there. Takuya and Cyberdramon are with him. Last time we lost Takuya we nearly fell apart as a team."

"Denial~!" Kenta and Kazu whistled.

"What'd you say?" Rika growled, grabbing both boys by their shirt collars.

"Enough you three," Tai sighed. "Fine then, Himizu it is. That's our rendezvous. Everyone try to stick together, but if you do get separated stay with your partner! Don't let yourself or your partner get lost on their own. Even if we break into a bunch of smaller groups or pairs we can all still find each other using our digivices."

Everyone gave Tai grim nods before rejoining the main traffic of the crowds.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Shinrin City's Second Tier

Takuya growled under his breath as he took on his fifth Ogremon in the past seven minutes. He was Flamemon and holding his own for the moment. He could hear Cyberdramon nearby fighting an Airdramon while Ryo called out words of encouragement to both of them from where Takuya had ordered him to take shelter. Takuya was trying to keep his attacks and movements down to a minimum, because he couldn't see much relief coming any time soon. A line of Knightmon was a few yards away, but they had their hands full with enemy Digimon.

Takuya was quick to use one of his Flame Tosses to blind the Ogremon he was currently fighting, and dispatch it with a blow from his Flame Tail attack, only to be confronted by two Ninjamon.

"Not good," Takuya huffed. "At this rate I'll never get Ryo clear. Looks like I'm going to have to kick it up a notch… Slide Evolution! Agunimon!"

Takuya easily dispatched the two Ninjamon before using a Pyro Dart to force Cyberdramon's opponent back into the sky to avoid being deleted.

"Lets get out of here!" Takuya hollered.

Cyberdramon nodded and collected Ryo before following Takuya for the barrier that marked the start of the third tier of Shinrin City. There were five in all. If this next barrier fell then the city was sure to become over run by the enemy. As Agunimon, Takuya darted and jumped from rooftop to rooftop below Cyberdramon, often providing ground support whenever another Digimon tried to take the partner Digimon and his human out. Cyberdramon did the same for him from the air.

"We're almost there!" Ryo cried, pointed ahead to the now looming wall of the barrier to the third tier.

"…Don't celebrate so soon!" Takuya shouted as he spotted a cloaked figure standing on the roof of a building just in front of the barrier. "We've got company. It seems that the Zaigou have finally decided to come out and play."

Ryo gulped and Cyberdramon growled as they spotted the figure as well.

"…Betcha anything that that's Pride," Takuya smirked at Ryo before charging head on at the Zaigou.

"Takuya! WAIT!" Ryo cried, but it was too late. The Warrior of Flame was off.

"Pyro Tornado!" Takuya roared, throwing a flaming fist at the cloaked figure that easily dodged the attack, but his cloak caught fire and had to be discarded.

The Zaigou was not one that Takuya was familiar with, but he'd already figured that this was the Zaigou of Pride. Pride was a tall figure with flowing silver hair and electric blue eyes. Even though he looked like a teenager around Tai's age, this Zaigou had a more mature appearance compared to his colleagues, but then again, Mai had once mentioned that Pride was the oldest existing Zaigou that had yet to be disposed by Kushyamon in exchange for a younger and improved model.

"I am Takuya, Warrior of Flames," Takuya declared, readying himself for a fight. "And you?"

Ryo nearly fell from Cyberdramon's back. What was it with Tai and Takuya and they're irritating way of striking up a conversation with the enemy? Well whatever. Ryo and Cyberdramon took the opportunity to reach and take cover behind the barrier wall to watch the impending fight. The Zaigou simply let them go, never taking his eyes off Takuya. Takuya had been right. The Zaigou were more interested in the weakened Warrior of Flame than one virtually harmless DigiDestined and his partner Digimon.

"…Ponosmon," the silver haired figure finally answered. "Zaigou of Pride… Aren't you a rather unorthodox specimen."

"I'm one of a kind," Takuya smiled.

"Indeed," Ponosmon mused. "A Halfling… Neither Human nor Digimon. You are certainly a rare oddity. I was warned by Iramon that you human types tend to be rather amusing creatures."

Takuya's smile became forced. JP had been seriously injured because of the mentioned Zaigou of Wrath. Even though Takuya couldn't have done anything, he took the failed protection of his friends personally. Iramon would pay.

"I've heard quite a bit about you as well," Takuya stated, reigning in his calm composure – or at least what little of it that he had. "You're the oldest of the Zaigou. Last of your kind, if I remember correctly. Must be hard getting along with the other Zaigou. I've heard that they're all bratty."

"They are indeed quite childish," Ponosmon laughed.

Takuya blinked. Ponosmon didn't appear to be that bad of a guy if Takuya was reading him right…

"Mai said that the older Zaigou were once created from Digimon. What were you before joining the Zaigou?" Takuya asked.

The Zaigou of Pride frowned, his smile vanishing.

"So Paressemon has truly regained her human form. That's good. The life of a Zaigou never suited her… Believe it or not, I used to be a SilverEmbermon," Ponosmon sighed.

"…A Mega?" Takuya blinked. "From what I'd heard, Kushyamon recruited power hungry Rookie and Champion level Digimon… Surly you must have been strong enough on your own without the power Kushyamon had to offer."

"Oh I was," Ponosmon nodded, a reminiscing smile spreading across his features. "I was once head of Netsusa's Royal Fighters… much like my baby brother is today."

Ryo and Cyberdramon traded incredulous stares.

"…You're… Embermon's brother?" Takuya gasped.

* * *

Ponosmon is Embermon's brother? What's Takuya going to do? Will he and and the other DigiDestined make it out of Shinrin City in one piece? Find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

* * *

...Nope, still wish this chapter had been longer. :P

Hey guys, I'm thinking that after the next chapter or two (maybe cut off at the nice round number of 45), I'm going to have to stop writing UGotD for a little while, at least until I can get PW all caught up because obviously this intense and insane updating schedule of updating 2-3 chapters for three different stories a week is starting to fall apart on me. It's killing me going back and forth between two distinctly different parts of this story. I'm sorry, but that's the unfortunate conclusion that I've come to. DX But you still have a chapter or two more left to look forward to before the long wait ahead (thought I'm hoping it won't be for too long).

I liked writing Takuya again. It's been a while.

I think this is the first time I've ever really written for tai. it was nice, but I can't wait to give him more to do in the next chapter or two. ^_^

So we finally meet the last member of the Zaigou (well not quite, we still haven't met Jervmon of Gluttony, but he's been named)... So maybe it's more accurate to say we finally learn the name of the so far nameless Zaigou. for those of you curious enough, Ponos is croatian for pride (duh). I have to admit that he didn't turn out exactly as I'd originally thought he'd be back when I was writing the chapter when paressemon is discussing how she became a Zaigou (we're talking way back to like chapter 25 people) and I've been going through a Kingdom Hearts phase for the last couple weeks soooo... yeah, Ponosmon (his appearance at least) is based off of the character Riku. Now I don't know much about Riku so I'm pretty sure that Ponosmon isn't anything like the guy, but i liked how Riku looked so he became Ponosmon's physical character model. :P

Hope you all enjoyed the first of the Pride chapters. Please review! I'm keeping my roommate up late just to bring you this! TTwTT

Good night/morning/afternoon!


	44. Pride Part 2

Oh finally! I wanted to update this last night, but the site was going all weird on me so i had to wait until this morning. Sorry for the wait readers, but I guess if you think about how long the wait is going to be after I post the next chapter than the wait might not be considered too long I suppose. :P There will definitely be one more update before this goes on temporary hiatus, but there might possibly be one more chapter after that. Possibly. These Pride chapters seem to be becoming longer and longer than I'd originally intended. So next time there might be a REALLY long update or two to three regular sized updates. We'll see how things go.

My muses have decided to go on holiday early so I can't really say what will happen. All of my updating had been slowed because of this, school, and the usual distractions such as actually watching Digimon as opposed to writing it... I actually re-watched seasons 1 and 2 and their movies with my roommate (trying to get her into it as well and am succeeding!) in two weeks and now we've skipped over season 3 to watch season 4 so that she can read Drowning Memories which is the only fic that I can apparently consistently update because of it's smaller cast of characters as opposed to this fic and Parent Worries. Again, sorry for the long wait.

Anyway enough of my pathetic excuses! I hope you enjoy this new chapter and that you will PLEASE review!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTER!

* * *

Chapter 44: Pride – Part 2

The Digital World: Location: Just Outside Shinrin City's Third Tier

Takuya stared at the Zaigou of Pride in shock. Ponosmon was Embermon's _older_ brother? But how could that be? Digimon weren't born the same way humans were. They were born from Digieggs unless in this world… Of course! Takuya blinked at this new revelation. Why question Ponosmon about being Embermon's sibling when Takuya hadn't even given the idea of Agunimon being the son of Suzakumon and Seiryuumon a second thought?

"You seem confused," Ponosmon chuckled. "I take it that Digimon in your world don't have brothers or sisters?"

"They're born from Digieggs," Takuya frowned. "Although it's not unheard of for twin Digimon to be born from the same Digiegg."

"And where do the Digieggs come from?" Ponosmon asked, cocking his head to the side, looking genuinely interested.

"Ah… from the Great Tree in the Village of Beginnings," Takuya answered. "Although I think I heard once from TK that in his world Digieggs simply rained down from the sky in a place called the Primary Village…"

"So the Digimon from your worlds are born differently," Embermon mused. "In this world, we have the Valley of Resurrection where the data of deleted Digimon is processed and later reconfigured. Digieggs can be found there like they do in your world it seems, but for the Digimon that desire parenthood they visit the valley's sacred temple to ask the Celestial Digmon to bless them with an egg of their own. If the Gods choose to bless the Digimon with a child, a Digiegg will turn up in their possession during the night of the next full moon. That is how Embermon and I came to be… or so we were told. As SilverEmbermon I never had the inclination to actually test this creation Digi-tale."

"Not the parental kind?" Takuya chuckled and to his surprise, Ponosmon laughed as well.

"Not particularly," Ponosmon sighed, shaking his head. "Not back then at least."

Takuya blinked. What was Ponosmon trying to say?

"Again with the surprise," Ponosmon mused. "Was it something I said?"

"…You're not what I expected the Zaigou of Pride to be like," Takuya admitted, smiling. "You're a lot nicer that the others. If I didn't know better, I'd swear that you were a normal Digimon and we were just having a casual conversation."

"Are we not?" Ponosmon chuckled, amused. "I do believe that this qualifies as a conversation and I do believe that the topics that we have been discussing have indeed been casual."

"Appearances can be deceiving," Takuya smirked.

"Too true," Ponosmon nodded with a sad smile. "There are so few honest souls out there these days. It's refreshing to find one such as yourself."

"Why thank you," Takuya grinned – looking unintentionally menacing in Agunimon's form. "It's nice to receive a complement from one's enemy. I believe that it shows respect. It's a shame that the two of us must fight. In another life in another time we may have been good friends."

"…You really are a curious individual Warrior of Flame," Ponosmon smiled sadly. "Not many hold such old idealistic values in these times of destruction and domination. It's barbaric. It grieves me greatly that you must be destroyed, young Takuya. But know that I consider it a great honor that I will be the one to bring about your demise. …I shall try to make your death as swift and as painless as possible."

"I thank you for the gesture," Takuya nodded, "but I'm afraid that I have no intention of dying here. I have others waiting for me to return and I'd hate to disappoint them a second time."

Ponosmon only nodded in response.

Ryo and Cyberdramon were watching these proceedings with a mixture of disbelief, exasperation and amazement. Cyberdramon was just itching to get out there and help Takuya, but his previous experience from when he'd fought Iramon made him think twice about interfering. These Zaigou were on a whole other level than he was. He was merely an Ultimate while the Zaigou had power verging on a high-ranking Mega. He could only hope that Takuya was as strong as he'd said he was…

For a moment everything was still as the forms of Agunimon and Ponosmon stood facing each other on the rooftops of recently abandoned dwellings. Neither Ryo nor Cyberdramon were sure who made the first move, but both Agunimon and Ponosmon launched themselves at each other and traded positions, standing perfectly still in his opponent's former position, their backs to each other.

"What?" Ryo blinked when neither moved.

"You're good," Agunimon grinned.

"Not so bad yourself…" Ponosmon said in return.

Cyberdramon growled lowly and then Ryo noticed the wound Takuya/Agunimon had been dealt to his left side. It was a rather deep looking gash that steadily dripped brilliant crimson blood down the flaming armor. Ryo felt sick. Takuya was hurt after only one clash and Ponosmon didn't have a scratch one him? Sure, he was standing now, but how long did the Fire Warrior expect to keep this up before he finally suffered a mortal wound?

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Shinrin's Escape Tunnels

Tai gasped, clutching his left side. What the hell?

"Tai?" Mai cried, helping him along so that he wouldn't be trampled by the traffic of the terrified and fleeing residents of Shinrin City.

"…It's nothing," Tai grunted through gritted teeth. "I'm fine."

And he was. He stood straight again and continued on without any further assistance from Mai, but he noted that the lovely redhead stuck even closer to his side then she originally had. Matt and Sora were even casting him worried looks, but Tai shrugged it off. Just what the hell had happened to him? One minute he had felt this intense pain in his side and then the next it was gone… Tai's eyes were suddenly drawn to the tattoo of the Warrior of Flame's character on the back of his hand. Was Takuya in trouble?

Tai had been warned that in times of great stress feelings might leak through the newly forged bond between the Bearer of Courage and the Warrior of Fire… could now be one of those times? Did that mean that Takuya was hurt?

"Tai?" Mai whispered. "You look pale… Is something wrong?"

Tai gazed at the former Zaigou for a moment before answering.

"…I'm not really sure," he admitted. "But I think that Takuya may be in trouble. Agumon?"

"Yeah Tai?" his dinosaur Digimon partner looked up nervously.

"I think you and I need to get out of these tunnels and head back to Shinrin," Tai said grimly, already looking for an exit that would take them back to the city. "I just can't shake this feeling…"

"I'm going with you then," Mai stated firmly, cutting Tai off before he could protest. "You can't just go alone you two. Salandermon and I know the Zaigou better than anyone here. We could help you."

Tai pursed his lips firmly, but decided not to argue. She had a good point, and it would be nice to have someone around to watch his back.

"Matt!" Tai called out to his best friend.

"What?" Matt looked up.

"Mai and I are going to check something out!" Tai called back. "Keep an eye on things until we return."

"Where are you going?" Matt asked.

"Tai!" Sora and a few others cried, but Tai, Mai and their Digimon were already gone, melding into the crowd...

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Shinrin's Second Level Tier

Takuya grimaced slightly, feeling the pain in his side, but he chose to ignore it. He was more focused on the blow he'd given the Zaigou of Pride. At first glance it appeared that Ponosmon had been left unscathed from their brief clash of arms, but if one looked carefully they'd see the tears in the sleeves of Ponosmon's flowing robes. A couple of long and silent minutes after the exchange Ponosmon's sleeves appeared to disintegrate and there was the strong smell of charred fabric and flesh. Faint, but prominent angry red lines ran up the length of the once seamless pale flesh of Pride. Ryo was instantly nervous because Ponosmon glanced at the marks with obvious distaste.

"I stand corrected," the Zaigou said softly. "You're not just good Warrior of Flame… You're skills are superb. I thought that you had merely scratched me... but to get _both_ arms…"

"Same to you," Agunimon grunted, placing a hand lightly on his own wound. "You nicked me deeper than I originally thought."

"This promises to be a most interesting fight," Ponosmon smiled as he tore what little remains of his once long sleeves off of his robes.

"Right. No holding back," Takuya nodded, casting a flaming hand over his wound, healing himself. Ryo had forgotten that he was even capable of that. It was quite a nifty ability, but Ryo doubted that Takuya would have enough time to heal himself later on in the fight.

"Ready?" Ponosmon asked, turning around to face his opponent again, sporting his new burn marks.

"Whenever you are," Agunimon smirked, turning around with a freshly sealed wound.

Ryo and Cyberdramon traded concerned glances but quickly returned their attention to the fight at hand because the two powerhouses were at it again. The two were a blur of movement and soon the smell of burnt clothing and flesh and the iron smell of blood wafted over to the two spectators. A couple minutes later the two parted and both looked pretty battered. Agunimon's armor was now glistening with blood from fresh cuts and gashes while most of Ponosmon's robes were scorched, singed, and even burnt away entirely revealing new burns on Ponosmon's body. Neither were breathing hard, but there was already a sense of battle fatigue.

"Come on Takuya," Ryo whispered under his breath. "End this already."

"It'll take more than that to beat Ponosmon," a voice snickered.

Ryo whirled around and came face to face with… Rika?

"Rika?" Ryo gasped, but before he could ask her what she was doing there, Cyberdramon snatched him up and pulled him back just in time to avoid getting hit in the face.

"Rika?" Ryo gasped in shock.

"That's not Rika, Ryo," Cyberdramon growled. "It's Iramon."

"What?" Ryo gaped as Rika suddenly changed to the imposing figure of the Zaigou of Wrath.

"You're both wrong!" Takuya's voice rang out. "That's Pride's little shape shifter friend who'll turn into whoever you expect him to be! Be careful you two! I'd help but-! Ah! I'malittlebusyatthemoment!"

In Ryo's peripheral vision he could see that Agunimon was once more locked in battle. When he returned his attention back to the fake Iramon he found that the creature had once again changed shape, this time into a near perfect copy of Ponosmon.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Shinrin's Escape Tunnels

Tai darted ahead, going up the increasing incline of the tunnels. Not long after he and Mai had broken off from the main group, Tai had found one of the now deserted tunnels that would lead him back up to the city. From what he could tell from piecing together conversations that they'd overheard from the remaining Digimon that had come trickling out, the tunnel he and Mai were currently traveling would lead them somewhere near the wall of Shinrin's third tier.

"We're sure not getting anywhere in a hurry," Mai huffed tiredly after a while.

Tai hated to admit it, but even while running, they'd hardly made any progress. They'd already traveled below ground quite a ways and weren't going to get out any faster than it'd already taken them to get that far under ground in the first place. There was also the fact that they were traveling uphill instead of down and that put a strain on their efforts.

"My Lady, Master Tai, if I may," Salandermon bowed before scooping Mai up in one arm and Tai and Agumon up in the other before taking off up the tunnel at a rapid pace, his long reptilian legs carrying them swiftly up the tunnel.

"Now we're getting somewhere!" Tai whooped. "Thanks Salandermon!"

"Now why didn't we do this in the first place?" Agumon asked.

"Why indeed," Mai laughed. "Salandermon you're fantastic!"

"It's no trouble at all my lady," her partner replied as he put on another burst of speed and quickened his pace.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Shinrin's Second Level Tier

Ryo gasped as Cyberdramon threw him back in order to avoid getting hit by the shape-shifting Digimon for a second time.

"Ryo take cover!" Cyberdramon snarled as he took a swipe at the shape-shifter.

Ryo didn't argue as he raced down the battlements of the tier and sought shelter behind a pillar where he could watch both fights. He couldn't help but feel incredibly useless. So long as his D-Power wasn't working, he couldn't use any of his Modify Cards to help Cyberdramon fight.

"There must be something I can do," Ryo growled. "Why can't I help? Why can't I fight too?"

"_Is that what you want? Would you like to have the power to help your friends? Your Digimon? …Even the girl that you love?_" a voice whispered in his ear.

Ryo whirled around, but saw no one. Only empty battlements.

"_Poor kid,_" the voice sighed, sounding like it was coming from all around him. "_He can't even help his Digimon in a simple fight_."

"Argh!"

Ryo returned his attention to his Digimon partner and saw Cyberdramon get kicked to the ground, struggling to regain his feet. Ryo felt numb as he watched the fight. Something was wrong… He should have felt something… Why couldn't he feel his Digimon's pain? He should have felt a shadow of that blow…

"_Is the great Tamer loosing his nerve?_" the voice cackled delightedly. "_Has he lost touch with his own Digimon? Does he even deserve to even be the Tamer of such a magnificently powerful Digimon?_"

"Shut up," Ryo whimpered as he continued to watch Cyberdramon take blow after blow from the nameless shape-shifter, but never felt even the hint of one blow… He knew deep down that he'd never been as in tune with Cyberdramon's feelings like Henry, Rika and Takato were… especially Takato. Takato was closer to Guilmon than any of the other Tamers were to their Digimon partner. Ryo had respected that… almost envied-! That's it!

"Get out of my head Netamashiimon!" Ryo growled. "You won't play me like you did Davis. I'm better than that."

The voice chuckled.

"_Do you really think that Envy is the only one able to get inside of other people's heads?_" the voice criticized. "_I know that you aren't susceptible to such trivial matters to be envious for long. No… Your sin is far greater._"

"What do you mean?" Ryo breathed, his breath hitching as he winced after watching Cyberdramon take another cruel blow that he didn't actually feel.

"…_Your Pride of course_," the voice stated sinisterly.

Ryo froze. Ponosmon? But how could he be talking to Ryo when he was wrapped up in mortal combat with Takuya?

"Ryo!"

Ryo started and nearly cried with relief when he saw Tai, Mai and Agumon run toward him from an opening in the wall just as a red blur sped past him in time to intercept what surely would have been another devastating blow for Cyberdramon.

"Tai!" Ryo cried, relieved.

"The cavalry has arrived," Tai grinned as he and Mai joined Ryo by the pillar.

"In the nick of time apparently," Mai said grimly as she watched Salandermon hold off the attacking shape-shifter, who looked like Iramon her.

"Agumon you better digivolve into WarGreymon and give them a hand," Tai said grimly, holding out his Digivice. It vibrated in his hands as it drew power from the Fire Medallion Takuya was wearing while he continued to fight the Zaigou of Pride on his own.

"Agumon! Warp Digivolve to… WarGreymon!"

WarGreymon joined Salandermon to help relieve Cyberdramon enough to recover his strength. Cyberdramon was obviously hurt, yet Ryo still couldn't feel anything through the link he shared with his Digimon… was that voice right? Was he loosing touch with the only other living thing that had ever truly known and cared for him as himself? …Was he going to loose him?

"Ponosmon," Mai whispered, drawing Ryo and Tai's attention to the other fight raging out over the rooftops nearby.

Tai winced slightly after the blurred figures of Agunimon and Ponosmon clashed which resulted in Agunimon crashing into a rooftop. It was then that Ryo noticed that Tai looked a little banged up… Could Tai somehow feel some of the more sever blows that Takuya was receiving in battle? If so then how come Tai could sense Takuya's battle fatigue when Ryo couldn't even feel a single twinge of emotion through the link he shared with Cyberdramon, whom he'd known and been bonded with for what felt like years?

"_What's wrong Ryo?_" the voice chuckled. "_Loosing your nerve?_"

"Ryo?"

Ryo started and looked up at Mai who was looking at him with her eyes full of concern.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"…No," Ryo admitted. "Cyberdramon is pretty beat up. I feel completely useless!"

"We all do," Tai said grimly as he watched Takuya take another blow and winced, as a small cut formed on his left cheek even though he hadn't been the one hit.

"Tai!" Mai cried out in alarm.

"I'm fine," Tai frowned. "Takuya's in trouble… He needs to digivolve. WarGreymon!"

The mega level Digimon was there in an instant, letting Salandermon and a recovered Cyberdramon take care of the shape-shifter.

"What is it Tai?" WarGreymon asked.

"Provide Takuya some cover fire," Tai ordered. "You don't have to engage the Zaigou directly, but try to give Takuya enough time to digivolve into BurningGreymon."

"But won't he loose control again?" WarGreymon asked wearily.

"Why do you think I'm here?" Tai smiled grimly. "Just do it before he gets himself killed."

"Got it," WarGreymon nodded, taking off into the sky and launching a Terra Force at Ponosmon, catching the silver haired Zaigou off guard and forcing him away from Agunimon.

"Takuya! Digivolve!" Tai cried out.

From the rooftop that Agunimon was standing on a whirlwind of fractal code erupted around the Flame Warrior and the Ultimate level beast form was revealed, roaring a challenge at Ponosmon. Tai sighed with relief and Ryo noticed that the cut on Tai's cheek was healing and disappeared altogether. Tai looked better than he had when he and Mai had arrived, which meant the Takuya had been able to take the opportunity to heal himself while Digivolving.

"He's back in it," Tai grinned.

"_Will_ he loose control?" Ryo asked.

Tai shook his head. "For now his thoughts are clear."

That didn't really answer his question, but Ryo diverted his attention away from Takuya's fight and watched as WarGreymon rejoined Cyberdramon and Salandermon in the fight against the shape shifter. Just who was he?

"Mai, do you know anything about that guy?" Ryo asked.

"No," Mai frowned. "I've never seen him before. But he appears to be a shape shifter just like Ponosmon is…"

"Ponosmon is a shape shifter too?" Ryo gasped.

"That's his power," Mai nodded.

"Can he get into a person's head? Like Netamashiimon did to Davis?" Ryo asked, glaring at the Zaigou of Pride just as BurningGreymon let loose a fiery blast with his Wildfire Tsunami attack. The blast sent Ponosmon into the wall of the building next to where Ryo, Tai and Mai were standing on the wall that separated the second and third tiers. Ryo ducked back behind the pillar and Tai did the same, dragging Mai with him in an attempt to shield themselves from the flying building debris caused by Ponosmon's impact.

"You two alright?" Tai coughed.

"Fine," Mai replied shakily while Ryo only grunted his own confirmation.

"Ryo?" Mai called out to the Tamer.

"What?" Ryo asked.

"Why did you ask if Ponosmon could get inside someone's head?" Mai asked.

"…Because someone had been talking to me just before you guys showed up," Ryo growled. "It said that my sin was Pride."

Mai looked shocked.

"Ponosmon can't get into other peoples heads," she frowned. "Only the new Zaigou have that ability…"

Ryo frowned. Then who had spoken to him? Something just wasn't right.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: The Evacuation Tunnels

Matt looked around grimly. There were no more Digimon coming in through the joining tunnels, which meant that Shinrin City's residents had all been evacuated. Traffic had let up some, but there was still a lot of hustle and bustle as Digimon hurried down the tunnels to get away from the city under siege. Tai and Mai were still gone, so he could only come to the conclusion that Tai gone back up to the city above to find Takuya and Ryo. That ticked Matt off, but he didn't dare voice mention it aloud. He didn't want everyone to panic just because he doubted that Tai was going to come back any time soon. He just wished that Mai hadn't gone with Tai. He knew that she'd gone because she'd paired up with Tai and probably hadn't wanted the leader man to go off on his own, but Mai had all the knowledge that the DigiDestined would need about the Zaigou and they still hadn't run into Gluttony yet.

"I'm sure they'll be back soon," Sora whispered reassuringly to him.

Matt sighed, but returned the smile. He knew that Sora was only trying to comfort him because she knew how much he really didn't like being put in charge… especially of such a large group. He just wasn't a people person like Tai was. Small groups like his band he could easily handle, but he felt too inadequate to lead a group this large who'd looked to Tai and the other older DigiDestined for guidance. Matt looked around the group and ended up making direct eye contact with Koji who was clustered together with TK, Kari and Koichi. In that moment Matt wished he knew what the younger boy was thinking. Koji didn't look scared like the rest, but there was a weary unease in his expression.

"Where's Tai?" Koji mouthed when Matt didn't look away.

Matt sighed, shaking his head and shrugging.

Koji frowned before looking off in a thoughtful manner. Koichi looked at his twin curiously, but the younger brother didn't comment. Koji's head then jerked up and he stared wide-eyed at Matt. Matt didn't like that expression and he didn't like it any better when Koichi mirrored it, looking at TK with the same startled look. Something was wrong.

BOOM!

"Get down!" Matt hollered over the ruckus and pulled Sora down with him, shielding her. Rock from the tunnel ceiling came tumbling down, scattering Digimon and DigiDestined alike. Digimon shot off screaming down the tunnel even as the dust settled to reveal two humanoid figures. Matt recognized the two Zaigou as the two that had attacked the DigiDestined in the desert…

"Hello Digi-losers," Netamashiimon cackled delightedly as more Digimon raced past him and his companion.

"So these are the DigiDestined…" the other said, also letting the fleeing Digimon to pass without a second glance. "Giermon failed to mention how… appealing they look."

"Greed doesn't think with his stomach like you do fat ass," Netamashiimon smirked. "I'm sure that they'll make for some fun entertainment, but leave the spiky-haired kid with the goggles to me… He's mine to play with."

Matt glanced back at Davis who appeared to pale at the Zaigou of Envy's statement even as Ken, TK, Kari, Koji, and Koichi took up defensive positions in front of him.

"I don't think so!"

Matt looked up shocked as Zoe and Yolei joined the small group around Davis. Zoe whipped out her D-Tector and Spirit Evolved into Kazemon.

"It's going to take more than a fairy to stop me, girly," Netamashiimon sneered.

"Allow me to handle her," the Zaigou of Gluttony smirked. "She looks good enough to eat."

"Suit yourself," Netamashiimon shrugged. "Just so long as you leave Davis to me. I have plans for him, and Dark isn't going to get in my way this time."

* * *

Uh oh... Things aren't looking good for our DigiDestined heros. Who's voice is Ryo hearing if it's not Ponosmon's? Will Takuya be able to defeat Ponosmon now that Tai's there? And what about the situation below ground? Will Zoe be able to take on the Zaigou of Gluttony and win? I suppose you're just going to have to find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

* * *

Oh no's! Huge cliffhanger! :O

Sorry readers, but I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter of UGotD. i'll try to post the next chapter ASAP. Hopefully on the 14th because according to this site on November 14 2010 I posted the first chapter of UGotD. So to celebrate this spectacular 1 year anniversary I'll try to post the next chapter on that day! I can't believe that it's been 1 year already... :O

And another thing! For my English composition class I got to make a teaser trailer and I made it for this fic. After I finished it for my class i posted it on youtube. you can find the link to it on my profile page with my other trailers. This one's shorter than the other two but i think it's my best yet! Enjoy!

I hope that you liked this latest chapter of UGotD and that you'll PLEASE review! Thanks!


	45. Pride Part 3

Yay! Do you readers realize what today (Nov 14th) is? Today is UGotD's 1 year anniversary! Happy Birthday UGotD! In celebration of this momentous occasion I have written a super long chapter! It took me all week to write, but I think it does it's job well. This officially (and I _mean_ officially) ends the Medallions arc of this fic and when this fic comes back from hiatus it will be the beginning of a new story line for the DigiDestined. I hope you enjoy this super long special, because it will be the last chapter you see from this fic for a while (it'll only be until I can get PW caught up to this point). I may or may not post a chapter next month as a Christmas present for you all, but we'll see how that goes. I'd like to dedicate this chapter to all you readers, especially all of you who've been reading this for the full year I've been writing it, but I'd like to dedicate it in particularly to warrior-of-water who's birthday is on the 16. So Happy Birthday warrior-of water and HAPPY BIRTHDAY UGotD!

I hope you all enjoy this final chapter of the Medallion arc and the last of the Pride chapters. And also don't you all forget to review! Anonymous reviews can be submitted as well now too so please! Show your love for this ever growingly epic fic! You can check out the trailers that I've made for it on youtube and see the pictures I've made on DeviantART. Links to these can be found on my profile page or be seen on my Shara Raizel facebook page.

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, TAMERS, AND FRONTIER!

I do own Mai, Salandermon, and all of the Zaigou thou! :D

* * *

Chapter 45: Pride Part 3

The Digital World: Location: Shinrin's Escape Tunnels

Matt didn't like this at all. They were facing Two Zaigou and Tai, Mai and Takuya weren't around. They had little to no info on the Zaigou of Gluttony and Matt was sorely wishing that at least Mai were there with them so that she could give them a clue that might help them beat the Zaigou.

"You ready cutie pie?" the Zaigou of Gluttony Jervmon smiled sinisterly, licking his lips as he stared hungrily at Kazemon. He looked just like his twin with the same pale snow-white skin and painfully thin body. He was also dressed from head to toe in black, but whereas Giermon was cold and had hardly spoken at all, Jervmon looked far more animated and that's what made him look even more dangerous than his twin.

Kazemon smiled at the Zaigou before hurling a Hurricane Wave attack at him and just like that the battle was on. Yolei had Hawkmon Armor Digivolve into Shurimon, Ken and TK sent out Stingmon and Angemon while Koichi and Koji Spirit Evolved into Lobomon and Löwemon. JP and Tommy were also quick to Spirit Evolve into Beetlemon and Kumamon and Mako and Ai's newly evolved Boogeymon got in on it, taking on an Envy Clone all by himself. While those Digimon took on the Zaigou everyone else gathered around Matt and the other older DigiDestined as Izzi frantically typed away on his laptop. Ken and Yolei dragged a shaky Davis with them while Veemon remained in his Rookie form and followed them, not wanting to leave his human partner's side until he had to. Especially not after what Netamashiimon had said. He wasn't leaving Davis' side for anything.

"Izzi," Matt called out to his friend. "Who else's Digimon can now Digivolve with the Medallions and be able to fight in this space?"

"Just give me a nano sec," Izzi muttered.

"Sorry, but we don't have a nano sec!" Mimi wailed after she saw Kumamon get thrown back into the wall with Shurimon who'd been hit by an Envy clone.

"Got it!" Izzi sighed. "With JP's Medallion of the West Guardromon can Digivolve into Andromon and if Cody has Armadillomon Armor Digivolve into Digmon he'll get a boost for being both a machine and insect type Digimon. If both Terriermon Digivolve into Gargomon they should get a boost too since their attacks are machine based. Unfortunately MegaKabuterimon or even normal Kabuterimon are too big to fight in these tunnels and Ryo's Cyberdramon's not here."

Kazu and Cody nodded, having their Digimon digivolve so that they could join the fight. Willace and Henry did the same with their Terriermon.

"With Tommy's Medallion of the North, Marineangemon gets a boost," Izzi mused; frowning when he saw that Tommy's medallion didn't really help them in this situation much. "It's too confined in here for Gomamon to Digivolve into Ikkakumon let alone Zudomon, but Betamon could Digivolve into Seadramon and fight with a boost. He should be able to Digivolve to MegaSeadramon, but I'm afraid that he wouldn't fit in the tunnels in that form."

"But is that even worth it?" Ken asked. "There's no water here, so Seadramon's boost would be neutralized since the terrain advantage would go to ground and rock type Digimon."

"True," Izzi nodded. "But Seadramon could help Marineangemon with defenses."

"It is better than doing nothing," Michael nodded. "Go for it Betamon!"

While the aquatic Digimon digivolved Izzi focused on what Digimon could fight with Zoe's Medallion and realized that hers didn't help them out much either.

"Zoe's Medallion of the East not only boosts air type Digimon but it seems that it can help plant an normal type Digimon as well. That means that Palmon can Digivolve all the way to Lillymon, and Shurimon should be getting a boost. Both Lopmons should be able to digivolve to their champion levels now too."

"I don't know," Willace frowned. "My Lopmon hasn't digivolved since he came back to me. I'm not even sure what he'll turn into."

"…Wendigomon," Izzi frowned as he pulled up the profile on his Digimon Analyzer.

"That's the same Digimon we took on when Willace's Lopmon was infected with the virus," Yolei blinked. "Izzi, he's too big to fight in the tunnels."

"Alright, so he's out," Izzi frowned, not liking that so many of their Digimon were being forced to sit on the sidelines because of the confines of their location, not to mention that all of the fire type Digimon didn't even stand a chance without a boost from Takuya's Fire Medallion of the South.

"What about me?" Suzie's Lopmon asked. "Can I fight?"

"Lopmon…" Suzie stared sadly as her Digimon partner watched one of the Gargomon (presumably Henry's) blast away at a Netamashiimon clone to help relieve some of the pressure from Beetlemon.

"I suppose," Izzi typed away at his laptop. "You come from a different world than Willace's Lopmon so maybe you use a different line of DigiVolution… Prodigious! Lopmon, you should be able to Digivolve into Turuiemon… and what do you know. Turuiemon is a Digimon that'll get a boost from Zoe's Wind Medallion."

"Really?" Suzie's Lopmon smiled. "I can fight too?"

"Good luck Lopmon!" Suzie smiled sadly, holding out her D-Power. "You be careful now o-tay?"

"You got it Suzie!" Lopmon smiled just before shining with the light of DigiVolution. "Lopmon digivolve to… Turuiemon!"

Turuiemon was a purple rabbit type Digimon with Lopmon's three horns on her head; her muzzle and the tips of her ears were white. She wore a yellow fighter suite, black shoes, a blue bandana around her neck, and a pair of red gloves adored with metal braces and blades.

"…Pwetty," Suzie breathed as she watched her newly digivolved partner rush out into battle.

"Is that all Izzi? Can none of the others help?" Matt asked as he watched the five Warrior Digimon take on the two Zaigou with the help of ten partner Digimon.

"Sorry Matt, but without Takuya's Fire Medallion, not even Leomon will be of much help," Izzi sighed.

"But what about Gabumon? Or Renamon? Don't any of the medallions help them?" Matt asked.

"They're technically Holy beast Digimon," Izzi shook his head. "Their main attribute is Light. Same goes with Gatomon and Patamon."

"Argh!" cried Angemon, as he was blast back by the shock waves of an Envy clone's attack even though Löwemon was taking the brunt force of the blow.

"See?" Izzi frowned. "Angemon isn't much help. You better call him back TK. If this keeps going, Löwemon's going to keep shielding him and take a beating for it when he could be helping the others."

TK scowled, hands balling into fists, but called Angemon back before he could rejoin the battle.

"It looks like Boogeymon's not fairing any better," Ken observed grimly as he watched the dark type Digimon get beaten back just as easily as Angemon."

"Boogeymon!" Ai and Mako cried when their shared partner was blasted back into the wall behind them and DeDigivolved back into Impmon.

Angemon flew out and snatched the imp Digimon up before more harm could befall him and returned to the DigiDestined, handing the injured Digimon to Ai and Mako. Joe was with them in seconds and already had some healing crystals out to help aid the healing process.

Matt looked around the stretch of tunnel they were in. There were five Netamashiimon whizzing around and Jervmon was trading blows with Zephyrmon. Matt supposed that Zoe must have slide into that form early on in the fight. At the moment she appeared to be holding her own. Beetlemon was fighting one of the Envy clones with the help of the two Gargomon. Kumamon was fighting another Netamashiimon clone with Shurimon and Lillymon. Lobomon and Löwemon had managed to corner three of the clones in a tight space. Turuiemon, Andromon, Stingmon, and Digmon helped them. Matt had to admit that it seemed like everything was under control for now, but he knew that it wouldn't last much longer. They may have had the numbers on their side, but the Zaigou were obviously strong. He could only hope that they held out until Tai, Mai, Takuya and Ryo returned.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Shinrin's Third Level Tier Wall

Ryo gritted his teeth. Things didn't look good at the moment. BurningGreymon's last attack had really pissed Ponosmon off and it showed.

"So you can Digivolve higher than Agunimon now," Ponosmon growled. "Fine then. If you're letting out the beast than so am I! The gloves are off!"

Ponosmon let out a wild cry and was suddenly enveloped in dark strips of data that cocooned around his body.

"What's he doing?" Tai gasped.

"Reverting to his true form," Mai said grimly. "You're about to see what Ponosmon really looks like."

Ryo and Tai blanched. When the data cleared Ponosmon's body it didn't look even remotely human like it had before. The Zaigou was now a large silver dragon twice the size of BurningGreymon with dark tinted scales, a black horn jutting from the center of its forehead, a barbed tail, and skeletal torn wings. It looked like a warped ExVeemon, but three times bigger and one hundred times meaner.

"That's…" Tai gasped. "Ponosmon?"

"His true form," Mai nodded. "I told you that he was the strongest of the original installation of Zaigou. It's why he's lasted this long."

"He's going to eat Takuya alive unless Takuya does something," Ryo stated grimly. "BurningGreymon's form isn't going to be enough."

"Mai isn't there some way to stop Ponosmon?" Tai asked.

Mai looked down.

"Mai?" Ryo blinked.

"…In spite of everything that's happened… Ponosmon was my only friend in the Zaigou," Mai whispered. "He never wanted this… neither of us did."

Tai rested a hand on her shoulder.

"Mai… I know that he was once your friend but he needs to be stopped," he said gently. "Maybe if we defeat him we can help him."

Mai shook her head.

"Ponosmon has been a Zaigou far longer that I was. It's too late to save him even if Koichi was here to help with the same process that helped return me to my original form. Neither of us could find a way," she sighed.

"Look out!" Ryo cried as an energy base attack of Ponosmon's collided with one of Takuya's Pyro Barrages. The combined force of the attacks sent the three humans over the edge of the wall with the pillar that they'd been taking shelter behind. Ryo stared wide-eyed as the ground that had once been four stories below rushed up to meet him. Tai grabbed Mai, pulling her close and angled his body so that he'd hit the ground first to help cushion her fall. Thankfully Tai didn't have to see his chivalrous action through to the end. WarGreymon came out of nowhere and whisked the two of them from of the perilous fall and pulled out of his steep dive. Ryo shut his eyes as he expected to feel his body collide with the ground when he continued to fall. He was caught just moments before hitting the cobble stone streets, but not by Cyberdramon like he'd expected. Instead it was Salandermon that set Ryo down next to Tai and a shaken Mai.

Before Ryo could ask the fire lizard where Cyberdramon was Salandermon's tail snaked forward from behind him and gently handed Ryo an exhausted and beat up Hopmon – Cyberdramon's In-Training form.

"Hopmon," Ryo gasped numbly as he cradled his Digimon partner in his arms.

Hopmon winced slightly in pain, but not even then could Ryo feel anything through their link.

"Ryo," little Hopmon coughed. "I'm…sorry. He was just too strong."

"Shh!" Ryo hushed him gently. "Rest now. You've earned it. You did a good job Hopmon."

Hopmon blinked slowly before falling unconscious in his arms. Ryo wanted to let the tears welling up in his eyes fall, but not in front of Tai and Mai. He would not show such weakness in front of the older DigiDestined.

"_Pathetic_," the voice from earlier chuckled. "_You really are loosing your nerve. Your partner doesn't deserve a Tamer as weak as you._"

Ryo gritted his teeth.

'_Where are you_?' he thought. '_And_ _just who are you?_'

"Are you alright Ryo?" Tai asked.

"…Not really," Ryo frowned, looking up at the wall that they'd all fallen from. "Where is that shape shifter our Digimon were fighting?"

"I've been wondering that too," Mai frowned. "Salandermon, what happened before you and WarGreymon came to save us?"

"We were fighting the shape-shifter my Lady," Salandermon hissed. "But the force of the attack that sent you all over the edge also hit all of us and scattered the three of us in different directions. I managed to find and grab hold of Cyberdramon before he DeDigivolved. When the dust settled WarGreymon and I saw you all fall and came to your rescue."

"I still don't see him anywhere," WarGreymon growled.

"Right," Tai frowned. "Then stay on your guard. We can't-!"

Tai was cut short when the section of the barrier wall that separated Shinrin's second and third tiers behind them was blow apart. Tai gasped as he and the others were once again blow back by the force of BurningGreymon and Ponosmon's collided attacks. WarGreymon somehow managed to catch Tai and shield him before they were both sent crashing through three nearby buildings. Mai was also caught by her partner Digimon but Salandermon was agile and quick enough to maneuver himself through the maze of buildings without taking any serious damage from flying debris and managing to effectively shield his human partner at the same time. Ryo, however, wasn't so lucky. He was blasted back through the first wall of a building, but crashed hard into the opposite wall. If that wasn't bad enough, debris from the barrier wall also smashed through the building like a hot knife through butter, compromising the building's support structure. This whole time Ryo had managed to keep Hopmon cuddled close to his chest to prevent his Digimon from being hurt anymore than he already was.

Ryo gasped with pain, stars and lights flashing before his eyes as he slid down the wall and onto the floor. His back felt like the force of his body's collision with the solid rock walls had crushed it. He wasn't even sure how he'd managed to break through the first one. Everything hurt. Even breathing hurt and that made Ryo certain that the impact had probably broken most of his ribs. His legs felt like they were made of lead and whenever he attempted to move them a white-hot pain shot through his entire body. Only his arms appeared to remain remotely functional as they miraculously continued to hold and shield the unconscious Hopmon, but if he moved them too much his shoulder blades would scream out a new meaning of pain in his already pain filled body. He couldn't move…

"Well well… What do we have here?" a voice chuckled.

Ryo managed to look up and saw a man dressed from head to toe in white. The man's hair was platinum blonde and it was slicked back up and away from his pale skinned face. All that white was almost blinding, but it made that man's sapphire blue eyes pop, since it was the only real color on him.

"Who…?" Ryo managed to breath out, but even that one word caused him pain as he tried to speak. He nearly blacked out from all the sources of pain his body was registering, but he forced himself to remain conscious.

The man chuckled.

"Who am I? Is that your question?" the stranger asked. "You will find that out soon enough my friend. All you need to know is that I'm here to help you."

"…Help me?" Ryo gasped.

"Ah-ah-ah!" the man tisked. "Why don't you let me do all the talking hmm?"

Ryo grunted.

"Good!" the man smiled. "Lets get right down to business then. As I said, I'm here to help you. You're dying, my dear boy, from all the damage you're body's just taken. Surely you can feel it. You cannot move, pain is all you feel, and surely even in this state you should be able to realize how utterly hopeless your situation has become. If your injuries don't kill you then the inevitable collapse of this building will! But there is no need to worry my friend because I can save you."

Ryo managed to raise an eyebrow.

"You want power, don't you?" the man smiled, lowering his voice as he crouched down so that he was at Ryo's level. "You want strength and power to help aid your Digimon partner in battle and protect your friends. I can give you that power. You may be human, but you show great potential and it is because of this potential that I am willing to save you at the cost of my own existence."

Existence? Just who was this guy?

"Of course there is a price to be paid in exchange for this generous offer of mine," the man sighed as if the idea hurt him. "Nothing can be gained without paying the proper price. An equivalent exchange of sorts. Now you might be wondering what this price is, but I can assure you that it isn't much. Not when you _really_ think about it. In exchange for saving you from a slow and certain death along with giving you the power you wish for all you need to do is come with me."

The man extended his hand holding it within an inch of Ryo's own.

"Come with me and your life will be spared and you shall be given power beyond your wildest dreams," the man whispered.

Ryo stared at the hand offered to him and then up at the man's seemingly open and trustworthy face. He didn't trust this stranger for a second. His offer sounded too good to be true. Power beyond his wildest dreams? Please. Ryo may have been dying but he wasn't a fool. He knew when he was being played and knew that if he should accept this man's "generous" offer he'd be used… just like Mai had been… like Koichi… like… Ken.

"I see your doubts," the man sighed, standing up. "And I can hardly blame you. You're a smart human. Not at all like that silly girl who dares to think she's become a chosen child once again."

Ryo bristled at the man's words. Mai had been given no other alternative…

"Fine," the man shrugged. "I respect your choice. Even if I think it to be a selfish one. You're not afraid of death. I can see that and admire it. So many fools fear death. But even so, are you so proud that you won't think of the partner you're holding so dearly in your arms? How would he survive should you throw your life away now in this moment and die? You might as well have let him go when you were sent flying through the air. He would have faired much better and have had a better chance of surviving. Oh well. It's your call."

Ryo glanced down at the unconscious form of Hopmon. …Could he really do it? Could he just allow himself to die and drag his undeserving partner with him? Sure, Hopmon was a Digimon and would be reconfigured and reborn but… Hopmon didn't deserve that. Hopmon was a fighter. It didn't seem right to let him die this way. …No. That's not the kind of death he deserved. As Cyberdramon, Hopmon would have preferred a Warrior's death… a death on the battlefield from fighting a strong opponent. This crumbling building may have been part of the battlefield, but it wasn't _on_ the battlefield. But what could Ryo do? It seemed as if he had only two options, neither of which he liked, but now knew which one to take. Ryo looked up and saw the strange man in white's hand extended out to him once more. This time Ryo took it.

The man in white's smile widened as he clasped his hand around Ryo's. A spark of white energy shot down the man's arm and into Ryo, the small shock enough to render the boy unconscious.

"Just as I suspected," the man smirked, his gentle smile now menacing. "His pride was his downfall. Looks like I've myself found a new assistant."

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Shinrin's Escape Tunnels

Zoe gasped as she took another hit to the chest. Even as Zephyrmon with the amplified powers of the Wind Medallion, it was all she could do to handle Jervmon on her own. She gave her wings a heavy flap to distance herself from the Zaigou of Gluttony if only for a few moments. She could hear the sounds of battle all around her as the other four Warrior DigiDestined fought the Envy clones. There had been five Netamashiimon to begin with and now they were finally down to two, but they were tired while the two Zaigou continued to fight as if the battle had just started. They'd been fighting all out for a couple hours now and it was beginning to show. Also Tai, Mai, Takuya and Ryo had failed to rejoin the group. Zoe prayed that Takuya was all right. She wouldn't be able to stand it again if he died a second time.

"It's a mistake to let your thoughts wander too much my pretty," Jervmon's voice chuckled and Zephyrmon managed to move just in time to avoid an attack from behind.

'_All right Zoe focus_,' she thought as she quickly cast aside all stray thoughts. This was a battle that she couldn't afford to be distracted in. As worried as she was for Takuya's safety, her own and that of all the other DigiDestined lay in her hands. She couldn't fail this time. She was the only girl in her team of DigiDestined. If she couldn't hold her own like they could… like JP had with Iramon, then she didn't deserve to be the Warrior of Wind. She had to be just as good, if not better, than the boys were. She knew that she was the weakest fighter, the Warrior DigiDestined's weakest link, but she was strong too and wasn't about to let those counting on her down.

"Hurricane Gale!" she cried, hurling a massive wind attack at Jervmon.

She couldn't believe her luck when it hit the Zaigou head on and crashed him into the tunnel wall behind him. Pressing her advantage, Zephyrmon launched a follow up attack.

"Plasma Pods!"

Again her attack hit the Zaigou head on and even managed to wound him. She was doing it! She could do this. Gluttony was finally wearing down. He glared up at her and launched an attack of his own, but Zephyrmon managed to dodge it.

"What are you doing Jervmon?" Netamashiimon's voice shrieked from the other side of the battlefield. "She's just a puny little girl! Quite messing around and kill her already!"

"Worry about your own opponents!" Beetlemon roared and tore through the clone that had stopped to scold Jervmon. "Four down, one to go!"

Cheers erupted from where the Adventure and Tamer DigiDestined were taking shelter from behind one of Marineangemon's protection barriers.

"Netamashiimon I think we've miscalculated," Jervmon sighed, dodging Zephyrmon's next attack. "They are too strong so long as they all fight together. This move of yours was too bold. Ponosmon had said so himself."

The remaining Netamashiimon – the original – let out a fierce and wild angry shriek.

"I don't care what that old bastard says!" the little Zaigou of Envy shrieked, like a scary child throwing the worst and most embarrassing tantrum in public. "I want him! _I want him!__** I want him!**_"

"Fat chance kid!" Beetlemon cried as he and Kumamon sent a combined thunder-ice blast attack at the Zaigou.

"You will not get in my way any longer!" Netamashiimon screamed as he tore through the attack and took off towards the barrier where the other DigiDestined were watching.

"Fool," Jervmon sighed.

"No, you're the fool," Zoe growled as she threw all her strength and power into her next attack. "Hurricane Gale!"

The blast of her wind attack hit Jervmon's exposed back, sending him flying forward. The partner Digimon were quick to back her up while JP, Tommy, Koji and Koichi tried to head the berserk Netamashiimon off.

"Flower Cannon!" Lillymon cried, firing her energy attack.

"Gargo Pellets!" the two Gargomon yelled, guns blazing.

"Lighting Blade!" Andromon said, throwing in his signature attack.

"Double Star!" Shurimon cried, throwing his huge throwing star.

"Gold Rush!" Digmon cried, launching all his drills.

"Metallic Ball!" Stingmon called, using a new attack of his that he'd discovered just discover when given a power boost from JP's Medallion. It launched a ball of concentrated metal and electrical energy.

The seven attacks all fused into one explosive attack and hit Jervmon in the front and sent him flying backwards back towards Zephyrmon and the last Digimon partner who'd joined her.

"You ready Turuiemon? Zephyrmon asked.

"Yes," the fighter Digimon nodded as she extended the metal blades on her gloves. "Gauntlet Claw!"

Due to the force of the partner Digimon's attacks that had sent Jervmon flying he was impaled on Turuiemon's bladed gloves. Turuiemon winced as Jervmon's weight slumped against her arm dragging her down.

"Damn… you," Jervmon growled.

"Hurricane Gale!" Zephyrmon called, hurling her final attack at Jervmon and throwing him off Turuiemon and into the wall next to them where he remained slumped and unmoving with a gaping hole in his gut.

"…Did that do it?" Turuiemon asked as she folded her blades back against her gloves.

"I think so," Zoe smiled.

They'd done it. They'd beaten the Zaigou of Gluttony. If Takuya beat the Zaigou of Pride then the first prophecy would be complete.

"Ah!"

Zephyrmon and Turuiemon looked back to where the other DigiDestined stood behind Marineangemon's barrier… a barrier that was now beginning to crack under the strain of Netamashiimon's relentless attacks while the four Warrior DigiDestined were grappling with four new Netamashiimon clones with the partner Digimon.

"Damn," Zephyrmon groaned. "Doesn't that kid ever run out of energy? How can he keep creating more clones? Common Turuiemon. We're not out of the woods yet."

The two took off towards the new threat, but by the time they'd reached the scene, Netamashiimon finally broke Marineangemon's barrier.

"Finally!" Netamashiimon growled and fired off a huge blast that sent clones, DigiDestined and partner Digimon alike flying off in different directions around the tunnel and kicking up a lot of dust and rocks.

"No!" Zephyrmon cried just as she was sent flying back, landing near the spot where she'd last left Jervmon. The crash was hard enough to force her out of her Digimon form.

When the dust settled a maniacal laugh echoed around the tunnel walls. The sound of it sent chills up Zoe's spine. She looked towards the source of the laugh and saw Netamashiimon hovering in the air holding an unconscious Davis up by the throat in one hand and a knocked out Veemon in his other by the tail.

"At last!" Netamashiimon cackled. "He is mine! Now we're in for some real fun goggle boy. You're my new toy and by the time I'm done with you the other Zaigou will want to play with you too! But I won't let them, because you're mine!"

"No," Zoe gasped as she watched Netamashiimon glide over to where Jervmon was lying.

"Gluttony you lazy ass! Wake up!" Netamashiimon snarled, kicking his fellow Zaigou in the head.

Jervmon grunted and to Zoe's growing horror he began to stand.

"Annoying little brat," Jervmon growled.

"Get us out of here," Netamashiimon sniffed. "Our job is finished. We have Davis and I'm sure what's-his-face has that Ryo brat by now."

"…What?" Zoe heard Rika gasp from nearby. "Ryo? Why would they want him?"

Jervmon grunted, but nodded at Netamashiimon.

"All right," he said, "but only after one last thing."

"Oh?" Netamashiimon blinked. "And what's that?"

"The DigiDestined are strong when they're all together," Jervmon smiled sinisterly. "Even while missing a few of their number they are still quite strong as a group. But I wonder… how would they fair if they were all separated?"

Netamashiimon grinned wickedly and cackled.

"So then what are we going to do with them?" he sneered smirking down at the scattered DigiDestined who were now beginning to struggle to their feet.

Jervmon smiled, but instead of answering he raised his hand up high into the air and summoned a large energy orb. Zoe's heart sank as she felt the incredible power Jervmon was holding in his hand. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but knew that it wouldn't be anything good.

"Teleportation Chaos," Jervmon whispered before lobbing the orb over at the DigiDestined so that it landed in the middle of the group. The orb just sat there on the ground for a moment before flashing and exploding, a wave of white rolling over everyone and everything. Before Zoe was hit with the light herself she looked up and saw Jervmon place his hand on Netamashiimon's shoulder. Jervmon smirked at her.

"We shall meet again soon Wind Warrior," the Zaigou stated just as he disappeared with Netamashiimon, Davis and Veemon.

Then the light hit Zoe and felt herself falling. Everything was white and bright but soon she fell into the darkness that was unconsciousness.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Shinrin's Third Level

"Tai?"

Tai groaned as he forced his eyes open and came face to face with a concerned looking Mai who was dabbing his forehead with a damp cloth. For a moment Tai just couldn't process what was going on, where he was, or even what was happening for that matter. All he knew was that he ached.

"Where are we?"

"In a house somewhere in the middle of Shinrin's third level," Mai said grimly. WarGreymon brought you here after the two of you crashed through three buildings and through the floor into someone's basement. Salandermon found this place and brought me here. Now WarGreymon is out checking on the battle from up in the sky while Salandermon stands guard outside in case the Zaigou's army has managed to reach this far into the city."

Tai nodded as he sat up.

"What about Ryo?" he asked when he realized that Mai hadn't mentioned the Tamer's whereabouts. "Where is he?"

"I don't know," Mai shook her head.

"We have to find him," Tai grunted as he forced himself into a sitting position. "We can't just leave him out there."

"Right," Mai nodded as she helped him to his feet and out of the house.

Salandermon picked the two of them up and took off back to where they'd last seen Ryo while WarGreymon flew above them. When they got to what remained of the third tier wall they were shocked to see BurningGreymon and Ponosmon still battling it out amidst the rubble. BurningGreymon wasn't looking too good either. Tai realized that that was why he ached so much. It wasn't his body that was battered. It was Takuya's.

Ponosmon managed to grab BurningGreymon by the horns and threw him in their direction. Salandermon got them out of the way in time, but it looked like BurningGreymon was down for the count as he lay where he had fallen unmoving.

"Looks like I win boy," Ponosmon growled. "You put up one hell of a fight, I grant you, but it just wasn't good enough."

"We'll see about that," Tai frowned, slipping himself out of Salandermon's hold.

"Tai!" Mai gasped. "Where are you going?"

"To help Takuya!" Tai hollered back.

He didn't stop running until he was at BurningGreymon's side. The Fire Beast Digimon growled at him, but Tai placed a reassuring hand on its head.

"Please work," Tai whispered as he closed his eyes and tried to transfer energy _into_ Takuya's beaten form instead of absorb it into his own. TK had done it before for Koichi; surely he could do it for Takuya now. They were bonded partners just like TK and Koichi were. If he could take Takuya's excess energy, then he should be able to reverse the process and return it. Tai searched deep inside himself, but just could seem to find that spark of fire, that energy that would initiate the transfer.

Tai could hear Ponosmon's approach as the dragon Zaigou took every thunderous step. Every fiber of Tai's being was screaming to him, telling him to get out of there. He didn't want to die. Not yet. He still had so much to do. But he couldn't leave Takuya. The boy needed him… and he needed Takuya.

"Please Takuya," Tai cried softly. "This can't be it! Common Takuya, we can do this! _You_ can do this! You can beat this guy, but you can't do that if you don't get up. We need you. All of us DigiDestined do. I know that Zoe needs you and so do I! We're partners now aren't we?"

But even after all that BurningGreymon remained motionless and the fire character tattoo on the back of Tai's hand wouldn't activate.

Ponosmon was now just a few feet away from them, but Tai didn't move.

"Get out of the way human if you wish to live," Ponosmon growled. "My only opponent is the Warrior of Flame."

Tai gritted his teeth, but he stood up, hand still resting on BurningGreymon's head.

"No," he glared. "I will not move. I will not just stand by this time as another of the Zaigou tries to take away another friend. I was unable to help in the fight against Aiyokumon when Takuya first died and I was unable to stop Paressemon from taking TK and Koichi. This time I'm not going to just stand by and watch. If you want to take Takuya from his friends again, you're going to have to go through me. WarGreymon!"

"Terra Force!"

Ponosmon staggered back a step as he was hit head on with the full force of WarGreymon's most powerful attack.

"Let him have it and don't give up!" Tai cried. "We can't just stand by and do nothing this time WarGreymon. As the leaders of the DigiDestined and partner Digimon it's our job to protect everyone we can so that we can all go home safely."

Suddenly the tattoo on the back of Tai's hand lit up and he felt the rush of energy coursing through him. It welled up inside of him for a moment before rushing down his arm, to his hand, and into BurningGreymon. He felt Takuya's spirit stir and all the aches and pains they were both feeling began to fade. After a couple seconds the power transfer began to drain Tai, but he held on, giving Takuya everything he could. They needed to defeat Ponosmon and Takuya was their only hope. Finally the loss of energy in his body became too much and Tai collapsed in a heap beside BurningGreymon who was now glowing in a fiery golden light.

BurningGreymon wrapped his wings around himself and when he threw them back he was Aldemon but this Aldemon looked a little different than the one Takuya was used to being. Like the normal Aldemon he was dressed in bright red crimson colored armor but with gold and bronze facets and was marked with a sun that had the character for fire inside it's center.

Aldemon looked down at Tai and smiled sadly.

"Thank you my friend," he said. "I'll not put this gift of yours to waste."

He gently picked up the older boy and handed him to Mai before turning to deal with Ponosmon again.

"So you digivolved again?" the dragon Digimon growled. "It won't make any difference."

"Oh I think it will," Aldemon frowned. "It's time to end this. Solar Wind Destroyer!"

The attack hit Ponosmon head on, sending the Beast Zaigou staggering backwards.

"Blaze Corona!" Aldemon cried out, hitting the Zaigou again.

Ponosmon let out a wild roar as he tried to regain his footing.

"WarGreymon help me out here!" Aldemon called up to the Mega.

"You got it!" WarGreymon nodded. "Terra Force!"

"Solar Wind Destroyer!"

The two attacks combined and hit a counter attack of Ponosmon's hard enough that they detonated with the force of a large bomb. Aldamon prayed that Salandermon had gotten Mai and Tai out of the way of the blast in time as the buildings of city around them within a half-mile radius was leveled. WarGreymon had managed to avoid the blast in the sky, but Aldemon had to bear the shockwaves on the ground. He managed to dig his arm-guards into the ground to prevent himself from being blown away. When the dust settled he saw Ponosmon's fading form in the middle of a large crater as Ponosmon tried to fight off his battle fatigue and injuries to prevent his data from deconstructing.

Aldemon sighed as he approached the shaking form of the Zaigou of Pride. "It's over Ponosmon. You've lost."

The dragon Digimon looked up and glared at the Warrior of Flame, but when they made eye contact the Digimon looked down.

"…So you have," was all he said before his form darkened and his fractal code was revealed.

Aldemon also let his digi-code be released and returned to being Takuya. Takuya looked at the fractal code before him as he reached for it. As a Digimon-human hybrid he no longer needed his D-Tector to extract fractal code and purify it, but now he was hesitant. Could he really take Ponosmon's fractal code? Ponosmon had once been a real Digimon. Now that he was a Digimon himself, Takuya found it hard taking the life of another Digimon. It was like taking the life of another human. He hadn't thought about it before when he had been fully human but now that he was part Digimon he felt sorry for Ponosmon. Was there no way to save him? He had a family after all.

"What are you waiting for?" Ponosmon asked. "Take it. Take my fractal code and purify it so that I may find peace."

"…But you'll cease to exist," Takuya whispered. "A Zaigou is not a Digimon. They cannot be reborn."

"That does not matter now," Ponosmon sighed. "I've lived a long existence. It is time for it to come to an end."

Takuya nodded and started to absorb Ponosmon's fractal code. He could feel the evil that saturated the data, but he could also feel all the good inside. Was there really no other way? With all the knowledge that he'd gained when merging with Agunimon and BurningGreymon, could he not find a way to separate the good data from the bad? This idea made him stop absorbing the fractal code and he pulled back, allowing Ponosmon to regenerate. When he had, Ponosmon turned into his human form. The Zaigou looked at him curiously.

"Why did you not absorb all of my data?" Ponosmon asked.

"There's still good in you," Takuya smiled. "You're still SilverEmbermon deep inside and I cannot bring myself to take an innocent life. There's hope for you yet and I believe that the answer lies in separating your corrupted data from your pure data."

"…What a curious child you are," Ponosmon mused sadly. "It won't work. I have been a Zaigou for far too long. My data has been corrupted to the point that there is nothing redeeming about it left."

"Perhaps," Takuya shrugged, "But give me some time and maybe we can come up with a way to save you."

"I'm a Zaigou boy," Ponosmon shook his head. "I am bound to Lord Kushyamon and must obey his orders. Even if I opposed him and join up with you and the other DigiDestined, I would not be able to refuse his direct orders. I could end up killing you all."

"I said give me some time, not eternity buddy," Takuya laughed it off. "I have an idea, but I'll need my bonded partner's help to do it. Unfortunately he's a little out of it since he gave me most of his strength to help me digivolve into Aldemon… I think I'll call the form Aldemon Courage Mode or something. It was a lot stronger than my normal Aldemon evolution… Then again all of my evolutions are a lot stronger then they were before, but that's beside the point and I'm getting off track. What I'm trying to say is give us a few hours and we may be able to help you. I'm sure Mai would like that. She once told me that you were her only friend within the Zaigou.

"…It would be nice to fight along side her once more," Ponosmon mused. "When she became a Zaigou I made sure that I was her first assigned partner. I helped train her so that she would survive because like me, she never wanted this… Neither of us did."

"Which is why I'm going to help you!" Takuya smiled. "Common. I'm sure everyone's all confused as to why you're not digi-code by now."

"I rather wonder that myself," a strange voice chuckled. "Pity. Looks like I'll have to take out Ponosmon myself."

Tai, Ponosmon and WarGreymon all turned to face the new comer. It was a man dressed in white.

"Do you know him?" Takuya asked Ponosmon.

"No," the Zaigou of Pride growled. "But he smells just like Netamashiimon."

"I am Garbamon," the man smiled. "And I happen to be Netamashiimon's older brother, just FYI. You, Ponosmon, know me as Nihemon."

"…What?" Ponosmon gasped. "But… how? I would have known if Nihemon was a Zaigou! He was assigned to shadow me on assignments soon after Lord Kushyamon started sending me on solo missions. I was supposed to teach the little gremlin how the Zaigou operated so that he could aid us in future assignments."

"So are you saying that the shape shifter that Cyberdramon, Salandermon, and WarGreymon had been fighting was really a Zaigou?" Takuya frowned.

"But that's impossible! Nihemon was around back when we had all of the Zaigou positions filled and there is no eighth Zaigou!" Ponosmon cried outraged.

"Oh, but you're wrong about all seven slots being filled," Garbamon smiled. "Being Nihemon the Shape Shifter and shadowing the Zaigou of Pride while on assignment was only a temporary deal. The truth is, Ponosmon, you weren't training a new lackey for the Zaigou, you were training you're replacement!"

"What?" Ponosmon growled.

"You heard me," Garbamon smiled. "My name derives from the human Bengali language's word for pride. I was created soon after Aiyokumon and Iramon were. I was originally intended to be Envy, but I took more to the sin of Pride, much to our Lord Kushyamon's pleasure. You knew that it was only a matter of time before he replaced you, you old dinosaur. Ever since Mai became Paressemon, he's been planning to create a team of Zaigou that all followed the human model. But enough of this boring drivel. Since the Warrior of Fire was too cruel not to delete you I'll just have to do it myself."

Ponosmon growled, his fangs extending in him human jaws.

"This is an insult that I will not forgive," he growled.

"Oh, but it's not an insult Ponosmon," Garbamon shook his head smiling sadly. "It's progress. You were the only one of the old regimen that was able to hold a human form and are the only one to live this long. No my old sensei, think of this as your retirement. "Out with the old and in with the new," as the humans say."

Ponosmon snarled and with that tiny provocation exploded into his true form once again. WarGreymon snatched Takuya out of the way and carried the Warrior of Fire to where Salandermon, Mai and Tai were taking shelter behind some rubble.

"What is going on?" Mai gasped.

"Ponosmon's pissed because apparently Kushyamon's already made a replacement Zaigou of Pride," Takuya sighed.

"Why didn't you take his fractal code?" Tai asked weakly as Mai helped support him.

"Because the old SilverEmbermon is still in there and I think that you and I might be able to save him Tai," Takuya frowned as he watched Garbamon and Ponosmon fight. "We need to help him, but I can't do that alone in my current state."

"I'll help," Salandermon growled. "I want another shot at that guy."

Takuya nodded, but then began to look around with a confused expression.

"Where is Ryo?" he asked.

"We haven't been able to find him," Mai said softly. "While you were fighting Ponosmon as Aldemon I sent out Salandermon to look for him, but he couldn't find any trace of him."

Takuya closed his eyes and sighed.

"There's no helping it," he said sadly. "First we have to help Ponosmon. Then we'll find Ryo."

"Oh I wouldn't bother," a voice laughed.

The all looked up in shock to see Garbamon standing on a pile of ruble nearby while Ponosmon was struggling to stand.

"What do you mean?" Takuya demanded.

"The boy is dying," Garbamon sighed. "Saw it all myself. His body took a heavy beating when you and Ponosmon blew up the third tier wall, Warrior of Fire. Nearly every bone in his poor body was broken, yet he still managed to hold on to his partner to keep him safe."

"What did you do to him?" Takuya growled, his form flickering between his human state and Flamemon's.

"Oh he's quite safe now, so don't you worry," Garbamon laughed. "I'm sure my little brother Netamashiimon will enjoy fixing his corpse up. He'll have a lot more fun with two playthings instead of one. So don't you worry about your friend Ryo. I'm sure that Davis kid will keep him company."

"What?" Tai gasped.

"Oh dear," Garbamon laughed. "You mean you don't know? My little brother has defeated your little friends and Jervmon has been kind enough to send them away from this awful mountain. They're a little scattered at the moment, but I'm sure they're quite safe for now. We Zaigou have all that we want from this debacle. Now all that's let is to finish off Ponosmon, take his place in the Zaigou, and I'll leave you three in peace."

"I wouldn't count me out so easily if I were you," Ponosmon growled as he suddenly appeared behind Garbamon in his human form and stabbed straight through the soon-to-be Zaigou with his clawed hands. Garbamon gasped and quickly flung himself away from the older creature.

"That was stupid of me," Garbamon laughed. "I let my guard down while fighting against a seasoned veteran such as you, Ponosmon. Damn."

"It would seem that you still have a lot to learn," Ponosmon grimaced. "Too bad you won't live much longer to improve."

"We'll see about that!" Garbamon laughed before launching an extremely powerful attack, but it wasn't aimed at Ponosmon… it was aimed at Mai.

Mai's eyes widened as the blow came rushing towards her too quickly for her to dodge. Salandermon threw himself before her to take the blow himself, but before the blow even reached him, Ponosmon darted before both of them, diverting the attack but taking on serious damage as he did so. He crumpled to the ground and lay there unmoving, his data beginning to break up and chip away.

"My job here is now complete," Garbamon sighed, wincing as he righted himself. "Rest in fragmented pieces sensei. You had a long run, but now it's time for you to go. I wish you three DigiDestined luck at finding your friends. I heard the Jervmon scattered them really well across this world. I only hope you find the all before they're killed."

Garbamon then turned on his heel and disappeared. When he was gone Takuya, Mai and Tai all kneeled down beside the dying Ponosmon.

"Why?" Mai gasped, tears in her eyes. "Why did you do that?"

"…That blast would have destroyed Salandermon," Ponosmon sighed. "You've lost one partner Digimon already Mai… I didn't want you to loose another. Besides, when the Warrior of Flame spared me from being scanned I knew that I was only living on barrowed time. Now it truly is time for this existence to end."

"Don't talk like that," Takuya frowned. "We can still save you."

"How?" Ponosmon laughed. "My data is already breaking apart."

"Then I'll just have to reconfigure it," Takuya growled. "You're still a good Digimon Ponosmon. You're still SilverEmbermon! I'll be damned if I let the Zaigou have this victory too. Tai, I know you're tired but please lend me some more of your strength. I'm going to absorb and then reconstruct his data, but I'm going to need some of your energy to finish the job. As I am right now, it's going to take everything I've got."

"Don't be foolish, boy," Ponosmon sighed. "Can't you see that I'm fine accepting my fate?"

"Not good enough," Takuya growled. "You have a little brother who's probably waiting for the day that you finally return home. I have a little brother waiting for me too and Tai's got his sister Kari. I would not be able to face Embermon the next time I see him only to inform him that I met his older brother but that I just let him be killed by the Zaigou."

"…You truly are a curious individual, young Warrior of Flame," Ponosmon smiled. "Go ahead then. Try. But should you fail, know that I am honored to have fought and have been defeated by you."

"It _is_ going to work," Takuya stated firmly. "So save your sentiments until you're actually dead."

Tai nodded, placing his right tattooed hand over Takuya's as the Warrior DigiDestined began to absorb Ponosmon's data once more. This time there was no hesitation. If nothing else and if this really didn't work, then at least SilverEmbermon's data would have been able to live on inside of Takuya and be used to take out the Zaigou. Once all the data was inside of Takuya he and the combined efforts of the spirits of Agunimon and BurningGreymon began the process of cleansing, recovering and restoring SilverEmbermon's data, duplicating and adding in a little of their own data signature to fill in the gaps that had been destroyed and couldn't be recovered. When the process was complete Takuya borrowed some of Tai's energy to help him expel the data out of his hand and watched it take form. When the data solidified, a silver version of Embermon was revealed; only this version was wearing armor plating on his shoulders, chest and head.

The Digimon's eyes fluttered open and he slowly sat up. He looked down on himself, eyes wide with wonder before looking up at Takuya.

"See?" Takuya smiled. "Told you. Welcome back SilverEmbermon."

"I…" SilverEmbermon looked up at Tai and them Mai who were also smiling. Mai even looked like she was on the verge of tears, she was so happy for her friend.

"Thank you," the newly reborn Digimon finally said. "Thank you Warrior of Fire."

"Friends call me Takuya," Takuya smiled, extending a hand.

"Takuya," SilverEmbermon smiled before taking it and giving it a firm shake.

"Looks like we've gained another ally," Tai sighed tiredly, feeling drained again. "Now I don't mean to burst anyone's bubble, but if what that Garbamon said is true, then Davis and Ryo have been captured and the rest of our friends are scattered around the Digital World."

"Yeah," Takuya smiled sadly. "He didn't appear to be lying about that, but before we go looking for them, I suggest that we rest. We won't be much help to anyone if we're beat all to hell. And besides, I Digivolved all the way to Aldemon _and_ just reconfigured Ponosmon's data back into SilverEmbermon's. My energy's spent and I don't think… I can… stay conscious… much… longer…"

Takuya suddenly collapsed beside Tai.

"Takuya?" Tai yelped.

"He's alright Tai," Mai said gently as she came over and knelt beside Takuya's now dozing form. "He's just spent all his energy and then some. Koichi did the same thing after he became Golden Löwemon. He'll be alright after a few days rest."

"Great," Tai sighed. "What do we do now?"

"The only thing we can do," Salandermon said as he approached the humans and the recently rehabilitated Zaigou with WarGreymon. "Find a place for you all to rest until Takuya wakes up. We could always carry him, but I don't think the six of us will get far."

"Resting sound good," WarGreymon sighed as he DeDigivolved to Koromon.

"Yup," Tai laughed shakily.

"So where shall we go my Lady?" Salandermon asked Mai.

"The palace is too far of a walk and getting there probably isn't safe anymore after the Zaigou's army invaded this city," Mai mused. "I think the best we can do is hide out in one of the abandoned houses on this tier."

"Sounds like a plan to me," Tai nodded as he struggled to his feet with SilverEmbermon's help. "Then once we're settled, we can all talk strategy and try to come up with a plan until Takuya wakes up."

Everyone nodded and after finding an appropriate shelter that they could the next few days, they settled in and waited for Takuya to wake up.

* * *

Uh oh. Now what's going to happen? Ryo and Davis have been caught, a new Zaigou has been introduced, and now everyone's scattered all over the Digital World! Will the DigiDestined survive this latest development and be able to find each other again? You'll have to find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

* * *

Ok, sorry for the HUGE cliffhanger, but in a way it does kind of wrap up things here. All the medallions have been found, the Zaigou of Gluttony was defeated, completing the first prophecy and Pride was also defeated only to be replaced, but now things can move on and have a fresh start. I plan to take full advantage of this and put a spot light on ALL of the DigiDestined at some point. Now that they're scattered we'll get to see more from those characters we didn't get to see much of in the first arc. If you guys have any DigiDestined in particular you want to follow first, please let me know in a review or PM. It's a relatively brand new canvas and things can be taken in a brand new direction.

Just FYI for those of you who noticed that Matt didn't mention Ryo in that first bit, it was because Matt felt that Tai, Mai, and Takuya all held important roles that would have been helpful to their situation. It wasn't that Matt had forgotten about Ryo, it was that he just wished that the other three were present because they had something to offer. Mai would have had information on the zaigou, Takuya would have been able to handle a Zaigou on his own, and Tai is their leader who probably could have come up with a good plan of action and be able to keep everybody calm. Ryo holds no real group responsibilities so he is seen as less important, and that is why Matt left him out of that "I wish so-and-so were here" bit. If anything, the only real purpose Ryo would have served was providing them with another digimon partner that could have helped them fight with a power boost from JP's medallion like he had when they faced Iramon.

Well I can't believe that this day last year I posted the first chapter of this story. Time flies. Wow, 45 chapters in 1 year... lets see if I can outdo my self this next year! My roommate drew 2 incredibly cute pictures just for this occasion and I'll be sure to post it on my FB page and on DeviantArt so that you guys can check it out. I'll post links for them as well on my profile. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and that you'll all review. I also hope that you'll all check out the trailers and pictures I made and let me know what you think. If any of you have drawn or would like to draw pictures or make trailers for this fic, I would be excited to see them! You can post them on my FB page or send them to my e-mail which is shararaizel at yahoo dot com. Maybe I'll hold a contest while this is on hiatus to see who sends in the coolest piece. Winner gets a chapter dedicated to them and will be either drawn in a picture with their choice of character(s) that I can make on my computer or they can suggest a scene or a character from this fan fic that they'd like me to draw/compose. If I decide to hold a contest I'll post the rules on my profile, on FB and maybe even on DeviantART if I figure out how. I'll put up a poll to see how many of you would like for me to hold this contest. Again, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and that you all please review!


	46. Scattered

Happy 13th Aniversary Digimon! 13 years of Digimon (anime) from 1999-2012! Woo Hoo! And what better way to celebrate than for me to post 3 new chapters at the same time? That's right! New chapters for Drowning Memories, Parent Worries and a HUGE update for the Ultimate Gathering of the DigiDestined. Woo!

I am so sorry that it's been so long since I last posted a chapter for this fic, but it's here now! However this doesn't mean that it's going to be updated regularly again. it's still on hiatus. Sorry. :P I just wanted to update it to show that I'm still going to be working on it in the future and that it will be picked back up again after i catch Parent Worries up with where it is right now. This is a SUPER long chapter and has a small snit bit in every DigiDestined's perspective. I really hope that you all enjoy this really long sneak peek into what's to come next story arc. Please don't forget to review.

NOTE: **Bold type means speaking English for Michael and Willace** Also the order of the POVs of the characters in this chapter was determined in a poll posted over a couple months time and will be starting with the least popular vote finishing with the most popular.

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02, FRONTIER OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 46: Scattered

The Digital World: Locations: Unknown

Kazu screamed in terror as he felt himself hurtling towards the ground while the cold air tore at him. It didn't help that there were occasional flecks of something sharp cutting into his skin as he fell. Only five minutes ago he had been in the evacuation tunnels back in Shinrin City behind MarineAngemon's barrier before that Netamashiimon freak had broken though it and sent everyone flying. He remembered hitting a rock wall and seeing that freaky kid with a captured Davis and Veemon in his hands saying something about Ryo. Then there had been this bright light and now here he was falling from the sky!

"Guardromon!" he cried out desperately but if his partner was around and had replied at all Kazu couldn't hear him over the wind.

Seeing his situation as hopeless Kazu finally shut his eyes and braced himself for the worst has he sensed himself nearing the ground.

FWUMP!

Kazu felt the air force itself out of his lungs as he landed, but couldn't suck in anymore as he felt himself tumble end over end for a good frightening minute before flopping over onto his back. For the next few long seconds Kazu focused on getting air back into his lungs. After a couple minutes of deep breathing Kazu realized that he was still alive! A fall like that should have killed him but it hadn't. Why? A few seconds after that Kazu realized that he was lying in a snow bank… and that he was freezing! He jumped up from where he was lying immediately.

"Holy crap that's cold!" he shuddered as he reached behind his back for his pack only to find it missing. Had it come off when he landed?

Looking around wildly Kazu finally found his pack – a dark spot in a blanket of white – on top of the snow-covered hill he must have tumbled down. He raced towards it as fast as he could in three-foot deep snow and the thin clothes that he'd gotten back in the fire city of Netsusa. He was shivering miserably by the time he reached his pack.

"W-w-where the HELL is Guardromon!" he coughed as he yanked his winter jacket out of the pack. It was the jacket he'd been given when he'd been to Himizu City… Wait… was that where he was now? Back in the cold northern icy tundra? He had to be. If he remembered right, there was only one icy area in this Digital World's continent according the map Digitamamon had given Tai.

BOOM!

Kazu toppled over as the ground shook from something impacting not too far from him.

"…Oh my poor circuits and gears," someone groaned. A _very_ familiar someone.

"Guardromon?" Kazu cried out.

"Kazu?"

A minute later the bulky machine Digimon jettisoned out of the crater he'd form not even ten feet away from his Tamer.

"Kazu! Thank the Sovereign you're alright," the robot Digimon enthused.

"I won't be if w-we stay out here much l-longer," Kazue shivered.

"I believe that I can help with that," Guardromon stated as he opened up the hatch in his chest.

Without another word Kazu scrambled into his Digimon's chest cavity. It was times like this that he was glad that he had a robot Digimon. If he'd been any bigger than he wouldn't have been able to fit. Thinking back on it now Kazu wasn't sure how JP had managed to fit inside a couple weeks ago – had it only been a couple weeks back? Felt like months ago. It must have been cramped, but then again, the guy had been injured and discomfort was probably the last thing on his mind in all that pain.

"Better?"

"Yeah," Kazu sighed as he settled down into his Digimon's inner workings using his jacket as a pad. "Thanks man. Do you know where we are?"

"According to my calculations we are about twenty kilometers to the east of Himizu City. There is a small settlement closer to our current position though a few kilometers to the North. How should we proceed Kazu?"

"The settlement place," Kazu shivered. "It's closer right? We need to get out of here and find someplace warm. Besides, we're not awear of what's been going on up here since Mai stopped being this region's Zaigou. The city might be the wrong place to go for all we know."

"…That is surprisingly insightful of you Kazu," Guardromon stated.

"Hey!" Kazu growled. " Henry, Ryo and Rika aren't the only ones that can strategize you know. I can think of a good plan of attack every now and then!"

"We are going to attack the settlement?" Guardromon asked puzzled.

"No!" Kazu huffed. "What I meant was that I can come up with good ideas every now and then too!"

"Oh," Guardromon mused. "Are you admitting that not all of your plans are good ones Kazu?"

"Argh! Just get going!" Kazu huffed. He really wished that Guardromon wouldn't take all of his statements so literally.

* * *

Michael woke up with a huge headache.

"**Michael?**"

"…**Betamon?**" Michael mumbled. "**Where are we? What happened?**"

"**I'm not exactly sure **_**where**_** we are**," his Digimon answered slowly. "**But I do know that that Jervmon guy did something. We're not in the evacuation tunnels anymore. I know that for sure. I think were in the mountains.**"

Michael looked around and saw that Betamon was right. He wasn't sure if they were the Eastern Mountains of Shinrin or the Western mountains of Sekizou yet, but he did know that those peaks towering above them on his right were definitely mountains.

"**Any sign of the others?**" he asked as he slowly got to his feet.

Betamon shook his head.

"**No**," the Digimon sighed. "**I didn't want to wander off too far while you were unconscious.**"

Michael smiled down at his Digimon partner before taking a steadying breath and forced himself to take a few steps. Once he was sure he wouldn't topple over he began to take a better look at his surroundings. They were in a pretty sparse area that had very little cover. That meant that he and Betamon had to be pretty high up altitude wise. He'd done enough hiking in California during the early fall season with his dad to know these things.

"**No use hanging around here then**," he stated firmly as he took off heading down hill. No point in going up.

The two of them traveled for roughly half an hour talking about this and that – mainly what they thought of the other DigiDestined and Digimon.

"…**I hope Mimi is alright**," Michael found himself wondering aloud.

"**You humans can be so silly**," Betamon smiled. "**You should just tell her how you feel already**."

"**H-huh?**" Michael stuttered, his face flushing brightly. "**T-tell who?**"

"**Mimi**," Betamon giggled. "**You like her a lot right? You should just tell her already silly. And take her out to mate.**"

Michael skidded to a halt nearly tripping over his own two feet.

"**Say what?**"

"**I said that you should tell Mimi how you feel and then take her out to mate**," Betamon restated sounding a bit confused by his human partner's reaction. "**Why? Isn't that what human boys to with human girls they like?**"

"…**I think – or at least I **_**hope**_** – that you mean I should ask Mimi out on a **_**date**_," Michael chocked out. "**You think that I should take Mimi out to dinner or a movie or something… Right?**"

"**Yeah!**" Betamon smiled. "**That's what I meant! A date! You should totally ask Mimi out to date! …But if that's what going out to date means then what does it mean to mate?**"

"**Ah…**" Michael blinked. How does one even start to go about explaining this to a Digimon?

Then they both heard a terrified scream and all awkward questions about mating and dating were forgotten. Someone was in trouble.

* * *

"Sora!"

Sora gasped as she found herself falling through freezing cold air.

"Biyomon!" she cried. "You've got to Digivolve!"

"I can now that you're awake!" her partner squawked. "Biyomon! Digivolve to… BIRDRAMON!"

A second later Sora felt the talons of Birdramon wrap around her to halt her fall. She let out a gusty sigh of relief and watched as the white abyss passed by below her.

"Sora," Birdramon's thick voice spoke up above the howling winds. "I see a village beneath us."

"Land!" Sora ordered, trying to keep the panic and cold out of her tone. While Birdramon catching her had prevented her from dying from the fall, she was still in danger of freezing to death. Her thin slacks weren't helping her up here in the freezing air. Especially now that it appeared that they were back in the Northern tundra. Birdramon banked and a minute later the two of them landed on the outskirts of a town made up entirely out of igloos. Birdramon quickly dedigivolved back into Biyomon.

"Hello?" Sora called out. "Is anyone here?"

At first nothing happened but after Sora called out for a second time a Frigimon poked it's head out of a nearby hut.

"…Yes?" the snow-bear Digimon asked. "Can I help you?"

"You wouldn't happen to know where I could find a place to stay would you?" Sora shivered.

The Frigimon started at her for a moment before coming out of his igloo and shouting "IT'S OK EVERYONE! SHE DOESN'T APPEAR TO BE ONE OF KYUSHAMON'S GOONS!"

"My! Well for goodness sake get her inside!" a female Frigimon cried out. "She looks half frozen in those rags!"

Sora felt a little offended hearing her clothes being called rags, but after she was ushered into one of the bigger igloos she realized that her clothes were in fact torn in places. Maybe the term "rags" wasn't to far from the truth considering the state of her attire after a battle with two Zaigou and getting grabbed by Birdramon's sharp talons. The igloos were surprisingly warm inside considering the village's occupants. They even had fireplaces.

"Thank you," Sora sighed with relief as she and Biyomon curled up next to each other by the fire underneath a blanket the female Frigimon had offered them.

"It's no problem dearie," the snow Digimon said, eyes crinkling as if she were smiling. Who knew? Maybe she was. It was hard to tell on a Digimon that had no visible mouth until it ate.

"Sora," Biyomon said quietly. "What about the others? What if they're all out in that?"

"I don't know Biyomon," Sora said sadly. "I hope they're not, but I have a feeling that they aren't. Jervmon scattered us to split us up as a team, so I don't think he would have allowed us all to land in the same area."

"That means that we'll have to find each other all over again," Biyomon sighed.

"Yep," Sora nodded tiredly. "But we'll find each other again. We always do."

"Ma'am!" another Frigimon called out from the entrance of the igloo. "We've found another one!"

"Another one?" Sora, Biyomon, and the female host Frigimon repeated just as a stiff but shivering Guardromon was led inside holding a freezing Kazu in his arms.

"Kazu!" Sora cried, jumping to her feet to take the unconscious boy from the robot Digimon. "Guardromon what happened?"

When she didn't get a reply she looked up and saw that the robot Digimon appeared to have frozen where he stood.

"Quickly dearies lets get these two to the fire," the female Frigimon ordered softly as she and the other Frigimon picked up Guardromon. Sora and Biyomon nodded before dragging Kazu over as well. After the boy and frozen Digimon were settled by the fire Biyomon couldn't help but giggle.

"Well that was fast."

"What?" Sora blinked.

"You were right Sora," the pink bird Digimon laughed softly. "We always seem to find each other again no matter what even when we're not looking."

"Biyomon," Sora laughed, shaking her head.

* * *

Kenta wasn't sure what to think when he woke up. He was lying flat on his back in a patch of tall grass with MarineAngemon clutched in his arms.

"Oh man… What happened?" he groaned as he sat up.

MarineAngemon shrugged his wings before taking off into the sky.

"Do you see anything?" Kenta called.

MarineAngemon didn't answer him though so with a sigh he looked around for himself. With a groan he realized that there was tall grass all around him for as far as he could see in any direction.

"Aww man," Kenta sighed. "Just my luck. How'd we even get here?"

"Puu!"

Startled, Kenta jumped and looked up at his Digimon partner who was flying around excitedly in circles making a ruckus.

"What is it?"

MarineAngemon flew around him a couple times before darting off to hover above the brush ten to fifteen meters away. Kenta forced himself to wade through the waist-high grass towards the area his partner was now circling. It was hard having a partner who didn't speak, but usually the two understood each other well enough. When he got there Kenta almost tripped over something.

"Whoa!"

After regaining his balance Kenta saw what – or rather who – it was.

"Zoe!" he gasped and kneeled down next to the battered looking girl.

She was knocked out cold and remained unresponsive to his attempts at waking her.

"What do we do now?" he sighed helplessly, looking up at his partner.

MarineAngemon made an uneasy sound before landing on Kenta's shoulder.

"We probably shouldn't stay here," Kenta frowned looking around while trying to fight down his panic. "We could be in enemy territory for all we know… then again practically every territory in this world belongs to the enemy. We should find shelter, but I don't see any in all this grass… MarineAngemon? Do you think you could fly high enough to see if there's anything around? A building, a hut, a hovel… something! Maybe one of the others! If Zoe is here then there's a good chance that the others are somewhere in this grass too!"

MarineAngemon nodded his head and with another excited incomprehensible squeal he was off. Kenta watched his partner until the little guy was too far to be seen… wow he sure could fly high for such a little thing. With another heavy sigh he returned his attention to Zoe.

"Now that I think about it, even if MarineAngemon does find someplace I doubt I could move you on my own. For a girl, you sure are tall and I'm not any good at carrying weights. I usually leave all that stuff to Kazu and Guardromon and Takato and the others… Aww man… I'm pretty useless aren't I? …Look at me talking to myself," he grumbled. "Sorry you had to be found by someone as useless as me Zoe. Any one of the others would know what to do… except maybe Ai, Mako and Suzie… but even they have helpful partners now that Impmon is able to Digivolve into Boogeymon and Lopmon into Turuiemon… I can't even exchange words with my partner. Not that it matters or that I even mind. We get along rather well without speech, but sometimes – like now – I just wish that he could talk like all the other Digimon. It would sure beat talking to myself."

After staring at the sleeping girl in silence for a while Kenta began checking for any sign that his partner might be coming back yet. It didn't make any sense to move now, but after thinking for a while he realized that sending MarineAngemon off on a search might not have been such a good idea after all. Here he was with an unconscious girl who had no physical Digimon partner (because the Warrior Spirits counted as partners right?) in what was probably hostile territory with no way of defending himself or Zoe.

"Aww man!" Kenta groaned. "I bet none of the others would have made this mistake!"

Just then the grass to his left a few meters away shifted and made him freeze. He didn't even breathe as he heard something stalk through the tall grass on his left.

'_Oh man oh man oh man_,' Kenta internally whimpered. '_I'm toast. And I just screwed Zoe over as well. Way to go Kenta. You can't do anything right can you? You're useless without the others._'

Every second passed by excruciatingly slow as he waited for whatever was slinking within the grass to find him. He didn't dare make a sound, but his heart was beating so hard, so painfully in his chest he was sure that it was giving him away. He was close to hyperventilating as the sounds got closer and closer to his position.

'_I'm sorry Zoe_,' he nearly sobbed out loud. '_After all you did for us back in the evacuation tunnels against Jervmon and Netamashiimon I can't even help stave off an attack from a Digimon… but maybe… if I run… it'll be distracted and won't find you and later you can wake up and save yourself. I'm sorry I can't do more._"

Taking in a deep breath, Kenta braced himself and took off running as far from Zoe as possible in a direction that hopefully wouldn't lead the stalker in the grass across her path. For a moment he thought that the unknown monster had vanished and hadn't bothered to chase him, but then he heard the heavy padded footsteps of something big right behind him. With a shriek – that was not girlish thank you very much! – he pushed himself to run even faster. He prayed that whatever was chasing him was alone and that after it was finished with him, it'd leave Zoe alone.

He was then flung to the ground and came face to face with a Mihiramon! He couldn't believe it! What was one of the Devas going here? Those questions instantly flew out of him mind as the tiger Deva roared, fangs glistening and claws poised ready to slash him in two. Kenta's eyes grew wide and braced himself for the blow that would more than likely end his life.

* * *

Jeri let out a startled cry as Leomon held her protectively close to him while he ran. Jeri wasn't really sure what had happened but one moment they'd been in the evacuation tunnels and the next they were in a war zone nowhere near the mountains.

"Hold on!" Leomon's strong voice cried as he jumped high in the air to avoid being hit by what looked like a missile.

With another cry she tried to make herself as small as possible for Leomon to carry. She was jostled and at one point nearly crushed when Leomon held her too tight, but she was too terrified to care. For a fleeting moment she wondered if Takato was somewhere out there in this insanity. He had been right next to her before Jervmon had done whatever it was he had done. Then her thoughts shifted back to praying that Leomon would get them out of this. She felt overwhelmed as she felt every movement Leomon made to dodge attacks, smelled fire and churned up earth mingling with the smells of oil and gunpowder (or at least that's what she thought she smelled), but the worst was the screams and the cries of anger and pain and terror that broke through the sounds of explosions and hissings and cracklings of weapons being fired. Being unable to see since she was huddled up against Leomon's chest she was terrified beyond belief.

Then suddenly with a pained roar Leomon dropped her and she went tumbling and sliding across damp earth a few good feet. When she managed to orient herself she glanced up from where she now lay and got her first good look at their new surroundings. It was awful. There were hundreds – maybe thousands – of organized units of machine Digimon a few kilometers away firing missiles and bullets and an all manner of things at a couple hundred Digimon of all types. There were Monochromon, Snimon, Togemon, Tyrannomon (just to name a few) and many others fighting back. Looking behind her she could see even more charging ten meters past her position to join the others.

Looking around her she saw hundreds of discarded weaponry nearly buried in the churned up earth where some Digimon were only just starting to revert back into date. Rising slowly to her feet and with a growing apprehension Jeri looked up into the sky and saw that the wave of grey above her wasn't clouds… it was Digimon data. So many Digimon had died and many more where dying now. With a wave of panic she looked around her searching for her partner.

"Leomon? Where are you? LEOMON?" she screamed.

Where was he? He hadn't… had he? NO! Not again.

Jeri was nearly in tears as she screamed over and over again for her partner. Just then a stray missile landed and detonated nearby sending her flying through the air again. She was terrified. She was all alone in a war zone and Leomon was nowhere to be found. Her voice was hoarse from all her screaming and her body shook so badly that she couldn't move much without falling over in hysterics.

"Leomon," she cried, tears streaming down her face.

"Now what have we here?"

With a scream she turned around and came face to face with a Digimon she'd never seen before and she was too scared to pull out her digivice to find out. It was orange and serpentine with big purple wings, bright yellow eyes and mechanical cannon hands/claws.

"A DigiDestined?" the snake-dragon Digimon cackled. "Oh what a treat. Lord Kushyamon is sure to promote me once he hears that I destroyed one of the pesky chosen ones."

With a hiss it raised it's cannon claws, but before it could strike something rammed into it's side knocking it aside.

"LEOMON!" Jeri cried seeing her partner at last. He looked a little worse for wear, but more than ready to fight if his angry expression was anything to go by. Jeri and never seen her usually calm partner so angry before.

"Don't you dare touch her," he growled.

The enemy Digimon hissed and lashed out with it's tail, catching Leomon of guard but not for long.

"Fist of the Beast King!" Leomon roared, defeating the Digimon with one strong fiery blast. Jeri let out a sigh of relief but it was short lived. A clawed hand then hit Leomon from behind and his data began to glow.

"NO!" she screamed, terrified that she was going to loose her partner again as a Devidramon loomed over her downed partner.

"Ebony Strike!"

The ghoulish dragon Digimon let out a high-pitched cry and burst into data. Looking up in shock Jeri saw who had saved her and Leomon.

"…Embermon?"

* * *

Mako groaned when he woke up. He was very confused for a minute though. He didn't know where he was. He would have been scared if he didn't see Ai and Impmon sleeping next to him in a nice futon. He was in a large room with high wooden ceilings with exposed rafters. The room was bare apart from the bed and the hundreds like it. There was a set of doors on both ends of the rectangular room. He and Ai and Impmon were in a bed right by the door that he could now begin to hear voices coming from behind it.

"Are you sure?" a gravely old man's voice asked.

"Course I'm sure! Aren't you?" a high old woman's voice asked.

"No! I think you're nuttier than a fruitcake!" the man's voice answered.

"Quiet! You might wake the children!" the woman reproached.

"So what? They've been sleeping for hours!"

"Little human children need lots of sleep!

"What makes you think they're human? Humans are extinct! They were all wiped out by that dark lord guy."

"I've seen humans before and I'm tellen ya that those children are humans!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah! Tell me something. Have you ever seen a Digimon like them?"

"What do I care for children? They cry and stink and-!" THWAK! "Sheesh! Don't you swing that broom at me Babamon!"

WHAM!

"Hey! Don't you swing your staff at me Jijimon!" Babamon roared.

"…What's going on?"

Mako jumped and looked over at Ai as she sat up rubbing her eyes. Impmon was still asleep though. The door then burst open and Mako saw two of the strangest Digimon he'd ever seen. One was an old man with so much hair it practically covered all of his face and most of his body. The other looked like an old woman in a patchwork dress with her grey hair pinned up in a bun on the top of her head. Her bangs were so long you couldn't see her eyes.

"Now look what ya did!" the woman cried. "You woke 'em up!"

"Like anyone could sleep with you yakkin'" scoffed the man.

"Shuddap!" the woman snapped at the man before kneeling down and began talking sweetly. "I'm sorry sweeties. My name is Babamon and the old coot is Jijimon. Do you know where you are?"

Mako shook his head and saw his sister do the same.

"You're in the Seidou Temple," the old man said. "Though in recent times, it's more like Seidou Hotel what with all the refugees comin' here."

"Don't use big words with the children! They won't understand!" Babamon snapped. "What my husband means is that this temple is offering a safe place for the good Digimon to stay while the bad Digimon destroy their homes. But enough of that! I bet you two are hungry!"

Mako's stomach chose to growl just them.

"Oi… that's all we need," Jijimon huffed. "More mouths to feed."

"Shut yer trap!" Babamon said bopping Jijimon on the head with the broom in her hand. Ai giggled and Mako could help laughing himself.

"…Waz with all the commotion?"

Mako smiled. Impmon was finally awake.

"Why were you still sleepin?" Jijimon snorted. "Common ya little lazy bums! Lets feed ya before yous starts a moanin and a groanin."

Mako got out of the bed and took Ai's hand as they followed Babamon and Jijimon. Impmon was right behind them. It didn't take long before the two older Digimon started arguing again about what to serve.

"Yeesh," Impmon sighed. "Could we have found ourselves in a worse dump?"

"It's not a dump Impmon," Ai scolded. "It's a temple. Babamon and Jijimon are being really nice letting us stay here."

"What those two coots?" Impmon frowned. "Bit loud ain't they?"

"I think they're funny," Mako laughed. "And they smell like Grandma and Grandpa."

"They talk like them too," Ai giggled.

"Accept for the broom," Mako nodded. "Grandma never hit Grandpa with her broom."

"Yeah," Ai nodded. "She liked to use her cane instead."

"…Just what kinda people are your grandparents?" Impmon blinked.

"Oh!" Babamon exclaimed. "It seems like the Lalamon found another!"

"Great that's all we need," Jijimon grouched. "Another guest. As if we don't have enough here!"

Ai and Mako and Impmon rushed forward to see what the two Digimon were talking about and saw eight pink flower Digimon float into the doorway. They were split up in two groups of four and were carrying two figures between them all.

Ai gasped.

"Mako," she cried. "That's Matt and Gabumon!"

* * *

Willace didn't remember much about what had happened over the last couple of minutes when he'd been conscious. One moment he'd been with the others underground leaving Shinrin City and then the next he and his two Digimon partners found themselves falling out of the sky. Gargomon had done his best to glide them down using his big ears, but the landing had been rough and Willace remembered hitting his head and then… nothing.

With a groan he started to wake up again, but something wasn't right. He could hear Gargomon shouting something and firing the guns that were his hands. That meant Terriermon hadn't dedigivolved when they ended up… where ever it was that they'd ended up.

"**Willace? Are you awake now?**"

"…**Lopmon?**"

"**You sure know when to fall asleep!**" he thought heard Gargomon yell before Lopmon answered him.

"**Yeah it's me. You hit your head when we landed. We're in the middle of a battle field and Gargomon managed to drag you into this den before getting caught up in the fight.**"

Willace was going to ask him just what he meant, but the ground suddenly shook beneath him and he jolted awake, hitting his head on a low ceiling. He panicked for a second when he couldn't see but he quickly realized that it was because he was in a burrow of some kind. Loose chunks of earth fell down around his head and in his hair. He couldn't see much because Gargomon was blocking the entrance to their hidey-hole.

"**What's going on Gargomon?**" Willace asked as he crawled over.

"**A war!**" Gargomon stated. "**It's just like something out of all those old war movies of your dad's. Are you ready to move? Those machine Digimon are getting really close now and I don't think our little hiding spot is going to last much longer. Not that the enemy hasn't already spotted us.**"

"**Then lets get out of here!**" Willace shouted and like that the three of them were running over uneven ground dodging bullets and missiles and who knows what else. It wasn't long before they were stopped by a menacing group of three Dokugumon. Gargomon was getting tired though and would probably be struggling against even one. Willace pulled out his Digivice and prayed that it worked.

"**Lopmon**?" he gulped. "**Think you're up for this?**"

His second Digimon partner nodded grimly.

"**Then digivolve already!**" Gargomon cried. "**I'm good, but three against one isn't my idea of a good time.**"

Willace hoped this worked because Lopmon had never Digivolved before without the influences of the corrupt data he'd been in infected with after the incident with Diaboramon. Taking a deep breath Willace held out his digivice and was immensely relieved to see it and Lopmon glow with the light of DigiVolution.

"**Lopmon digivolve too… Wendigomon**!"

Willace gapped as he saw Lopmon change into the towering form of Wendigomon, looking much like he had last year. He had bad flashbacks to that time, but at least this time Wendigomon wasn't under the influence of the virus.

"**Cable Crusher!**" Wendigomon roared as he threw out his long arms and punched away two of the Dokugumon.

"**Gargo Pellets!**" Gargomon cried, dispatching the third.

Willace sighed with relief and ran after his two partner Digimon. Wendigomon knocked away any Digimon that attacked them and Gargomon shot any ammunition heading their way so that it detonated before reaching them. It didn't take the trio long to realize that they had landed somewhere on the fringes of the enemy troop's position and were in deep trouble. There were too many machine Digimon everywhere. Willace was having trouble keeping up with his partners as they moved over the rough terrain. At one point they got separated breaking over into the rebel's line and into more friendly territory. He could hear Gargomon calling his name and just after he spotted his two Digimon – though how he could have misplaced the mountain that was Wendigomon – an explosion of some kind went off behind him and sent him flying. He rolled a couple of feet before his right foot got caught under the body of a heavily armored tank Digimon. He screamed as the impact jarred his leg and he didn't like the sticky wet feeling running down into his shoe. A second later the Digimon burst into data bits, but the damage had already been done. He didn't have time to look at his injury before being swept up into the air by Wendigomon who set him on a broad shoulder. Willace looked around at the land surrounding him. He'd seen many war movies but this? …This was something else entirely.

* * *

"Yolei? Are you awake yet Yolei?"

With a groan Yolei forced her eyes open.

"…Hawkmon?"

"Sorry, but no," a woman's voice laughed softly.

"Then who…" Yolei frowned as she sat up and saw who she was speaking to. "…Darkmon?"

"It's good to see you again," the golden angel woman smiled.

"Where am I?" Yolei asked looking around.

"Back in Netsusa," Darkmon replied. "You've been asleep for a couple hours. You were unconscious when you were brought here."

"And Hawkmon?" Yolei asked with a sudden feel of apprehension.

"Your partner is in the recovery wing," Darkmon said softly. "He was injured when you arrived. He managed to protect you as Shurimon when you two fell out of the sky. He would only dedigivolve back into Hawkmon once your safety was assured. And even then we couldn't get him to leave your side until he was overcome with exhaustion and passed out. …He's a very loyal partner."

Yolei felt a twine of pride and guilt. She knew too well how loyal her partner was to her. He was more than she deserved.

"Wait," she frowned. "We fell out of the sky?"

Darkmon nodded.

"But how is that… I mean… we were in Shinrin and that's miles away, so how…! Jervmon! He did something! Am I the only one here?" Yolei demanded.

"No," Darkmon shook her head. "One other fell out of the sky on the other side of the city. Who it is yet I'm not sure. Someone else was given the responsibility to bring them here. This is no doubt the result of one of Jervmon's tricks. He can send objects and people flying everywhere at random. He'd done it to our troops before. I ended up all the way in Sekizou once. It takes a lot out of Jervmon though so I doubt we'll be seeing him anytime soon."

"Well that's something at least," Yolei sighed. "…Can I see him? Can I see Hawkmon?"

"This way," Darkmon smiled. "He is just down the hall. We weren't sure which of you two would wake up first so we put you in a room near the infirmary."

"Thank you," Yolei bowed before following the golden angel Digimon out of the lavish room and down the grand hallway a few doors down where Darkmon left her.

Hawkmon was lying on a bed with his left wing covered in bandages and in a sling. The other was bandaged too, but only around the hand part. Yolei hurried over to his side and took a seat. She didn't know what to do at first since she couldn't hold one of his "hands" but after a while she settled for smoothing down his feathers.

"Mmm… That feels rather nice," the bird Digimon smiled.

"Oh Hawkmon," Yolei whispered. "Are you alright?"

"A little worse for wear I'm afraid, but I'm fine knowing that you're alright," he sighed but his smiled never wavered.

Yolei smiled back, but she couldn't stop her tears from falling. Neither of them acknowledged them though and she went back to smoothing down and unruffling his feathers. It was quiet between the two of them in the infirmary but half an hour later there was a clamor in the hall.

"Oh the poor boy!"

"Quick! Get him inside!"

Hawkmon and Yolei looked up just in time to see the doors thrown open to admit Darkmon, a Lillymon, and a Togemon who was carrying a blood covered Henry with a teary-eyed Terriermon right behind them. Terriermon didn't even acknowledge the two of them as he watched the Togemon set his Tamer down on the bed beside Hawkmon's. The Lillymon zipped off to the other end of the ward and came back with what looked like healing crystals. Yolei and Hawkmon watched nervously as the flower child did her best to help Henry.

* * *

Now there are many ways he could have woken up, but Cody hadn't liked waking up to a rank smell. Wrinkling his nose, Cody forced himself the rest of the way to consciousness and sat up to take a look at his surroundings. It was dark and nearly impossible to see. He could only make out vague shadowy shapes and outlines. It was also damp and didn't smell too good.

"Uh," Cody groaned as he stood up. "Armadillomon?"

"Right here Cody," his partner's western twang answered from somewhere nearby on his right.

"Where are we?" he asked.

"If the smell is any indication I'd say we're in the sewer," Armadillomon sighed.

"You are correct. Are you two alright?"

Cody squinted into the darkness just barely able to make out a short blobby shadow in front of him. If they were in a sewer then there was really only one kind of Digimon that he could be talking to.

"Are you a Numemon?" Cody asked nervously. His experience with Numemon wasn't very flattering. Those kinds of Digimon tended to be rude and gross and…well, they just weren't very pleasant.

"You got it," the blobby shape answered. "My friends and I pulled you and your friend down here to hide you from the Scavengers."

"Scavengers?" Cody and Armadillomon repeated in unison.

"Digimon who the Zaigou send to pick off any survivors after a town raid," the Numemon explained. "You're a DigiDestined human right? We couldn't let them find you. You and your friends are our only hope. It's said that you'll save us all."

"So we're in the sewers below Shinrin?" Cody frowned.

"Shinrin?" the Numemon blinked. "Kid, you're in the sewer system below the far east coastal village."

"But how's that possible?" Cody asked. "We were in the evacuation tunnels leaving Shinrin City. We were fighting Jervmon and Netamashiimon."

"Jervmon? Well no wonder," Numemon sighed. "You ain't the first one that Mon magiced off. We had a couple rebel soldiers falling out of the sky over town cause of him too a short while back."

"He can do that?" Armadillomon asked.

"The Zaigou can do many things," the Numemon said ominously.

"Hey!"

Cody looked up and listened intently as a second Numemon appeared in the sparse lighting of the sewers.

"We need to move! The Scavengers are starting to check the sewers!" the newcomer said.

"You heard him! Move it!" cried the first Numemon.

Cody and Armadillomon shuffled uncertainly after the two Numemon. Cody tried to ignore the slimy texture of the wall and not think about what he was wading through. There was very little light and that made it very hard to move quickly even with the noise of something entering the sewer far away from their current position. Cody's heart beat hard inside his chest as the noises of pursuers grew louder as more and more enemy Digimon entered the sewers. After fifteen minutes Cody, Armadillomon, and the two Numemon broke free into a bright open cavern that was full of light. But it was also full of at least a hundred Digimon.

"We gotta move further into the tunnel system! The Scavengers are coming!" the second Numemon cried out.

Many of the Digimon let out soft cries of alarm.

"But that place is a maze!" Someone called out.

"Who cares? It's better than being caught!" the first Numemon shouted. "Now move!"

Reluctantly the rest of the Digimon began to head off through a tunnel in the back to the left of Cody's current standing position.

"Who are these Digimon and how many of them are there?" Cody asked.

"Kid, these are the only survivors of the fifteen towns and villages that once lined the eastern coast," the first Numemon sighed. "There are only a couple hundred of us left out of the thousands that used to populate these areas."

The Numemon looked sad and Cody realized that out of all the Digimon present only a few other Numemon helped make up those numbers. Nine others aside from the one he was talking to if Cody was counting right.

"…What happened to all the other Numemon?" Cody asked.

"…A lot of them digivolved into Monzaemon and Garbagemon to help fight off the Zaigou," Numemon sighed. "Some died helping other surface dwellers like you escape down into the sewers. A few of them are still out in the tunnels looking out for Scavengers, but other than them… all you see is all that's left. We're refugees kid. Our homes are destroyed, the Zaigou are taking over, and it won't be long before we're all either killed or forced into slavery."

"What Zaigou rules this area?" Cody asked.

"Iramon," Numemon muttered. "The west had it easy with Aiyokumon and Paressemon, while we Digimon living in the east have been living in constant terror. Iramon leaves no survivors. He prefers to level everything to dust. Honestly Kid, we'll be lucky if we can make it out of these sewers and into the tunnels. Iramon's smart. He'll have some goons down here to pick us off one by one."

"Well that's a cheery idea. And people think I have pessimistic thoughts."

Cody whirled around, recognizing the voice.

"Koichi!"

* * *

Joe held Gomamon close to him as they found themselves falling out of the sky and landing in a haystack. Joe sneezed.

"Uh!" he groaned. "That's all I need. Something to aggravate my hay fever."

"Joe," Gomamon sighed. "Can you complain _after_ we get out of the hay?"

With something that was between a sigh and another sneeze Joe managed to roll them out of the haystack.

"At least we managed to land in something soft," Gomamon chuckled.

"I don't –ACHOO!– see anything amusing about falling out of the sky and into –CHOO!– hay," Joe grumbled.

"Aww! Don't start getting all cranky now Joe," Gomamon grinned. "People'll think you're regressing. You're supposed to be the cool – ok, maybe not cool – but the responsible one, remember? What happened to the sense of humor that took you three years to get?"

"Shut up," Joe grumbled. "Considering the circumstances I think I'm entitled to be grumpy."

Gomamon gave his version of a shrug.

"Instead of gripping about it, why don't we look around and see where we are?"

"Fine," Joe sighed.

The two of them looked around and found that they were on the outskirts of a small town. Wandering in they found that the place was home to a bunch of plant Digimon like Mushroomon, Floramon, and Palmon and everything appeared to be peaceful. Joe was just about to suggest that they ask someone where they were, but right at that moment the ground gave a tremendous quake nearly knocking him off his feet.

"What the-!" Joe gasped just as a flash of light caught his eye.

Turning to his left he found himself looking down the main street which gave him a clear view of something detonating a couple miles outside the town before a concussive shockwave blast was followed by a roaring BOOM!

"It's the Zaigou's army!" screeched a Floramon a few feet away just as some dark shapes started to appear on the horizon that were rapidly making their way towards the town.

"We're under attack!" cried a Palmon.

"Hurry! To the underground shelters!" hollered a Mushroomon. "We have to try to escape into the-!"

A blast and a heavy wave of hot air cut the Digimon off. The town soon fell into chaos as Devidramon, DarkTyrannomon, and Warumonzaemon seemed to materialize out of nowhere with the air assault led by a squadron of Digimon Joe had never seen before. Next thing Joe knew he was running with Gomamon tucked under his arm.

"Easy Joe!" Gomamon squawked as they skidded around a building and just narrowly avoided a fireball.

"Sorry!" Joe gasped as he nearly tripped for the fourth time. "I'm a little preoccupied with running for our lives!"

A couple minutes later Joe finally lost his footing and tumbled hard into an alley. Instinctively Joe wrapped his body protectively around his partner as he fell. He ended up banging his head really hard on the wall as he went down.

"Joe!"

Joe heard Gomamon's cries from within his arms, but that collision of his head against the wall had done it's damage. His vision was fading and there was a ringing in his ears. He struggled to prop himself up or to at least flop over onto his back so that Gomamon could get free. He succeeded getting onto his back, but only just. The action had taken more out of him than he'd thought.

"Joe!" Gomamon cried as he scrabbled out of his partner's arms. "Get up! You have to! They're coming!"

The rest of Gomamon's pleas were lost in the roar of another explosion; one that blew apart the building on their left. Joe felt more than saw the rubble collapse on top of him because Gomamon threw himself over Joe's head. After that his consciousness began to fade in and out. The last thing he remembered before blacking out completely was the sound of rubble moving and a shaft of light that fell across his eyelids because Gomamon wasn't shielding his face anymore. Not that it mattered. He couldn't see anything without opening his eyes. But he could hear the voices speaking above him.

"A human?"

"And his Digimon."

"Do we kill them?"

"No! Bring them. Lord Kushyamon will be most pleased."

Joe blacked out after that and the next time he woke, he was in a dark cell.

* * *

JP wasn't too sure what to make of his situation. One minute he had been fighting one of Netamashiimon's clones and the next he was waking up in a pitch-black space on what felt like a bed. With a groan he forced himself into a sitting position.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," a familiar voice chided.

Then the room began to glow green. JP recognized the source as the strange glowing fungi he'd seen in Sekizou. When the room became sufficiently lit he spotted who had spoken.

"Digitamamon?" he blinked.

"That's right kid," the egg Digimon nodded.

"…I'm back in Sekizou?" JP asked.

"You got it," Digitamamon confirmed. "Now why don't you get up and come get something to eat. Floramon made you something."

"Ah… Sure," JP nodded and he hoisted himself out of bed with a groan.

"Fighting those Zaigou is no walk in the park, huh?" Digitamamon sighed.

"No," JP said through gritted teeth. Oh why did everything have to hurt? "They're tough bastards."

"I won't argue with that," Digitamamon said grimly. "You kids have instigated quite a storm taking Paressemon and returning her to being human."

"Mai?" JP blinked.

"Yeah her," Digitamamon nodded. "Kushyamon's making his move. He's sent out troops to the east and is completely devastating to coast. Shinrin isn't the only area coming under fire. I've heard that the eastern coast is nothing but rubble now. Iramon is leading the armies in a merciless genocide. So far we've been lucky but now that this side of the continent's Zaigou's are gone, it's only a matter of time before we're wiped out too. There aren't too many safe places in this world anymore. Half of Sekizou has evacuated into the mountains… fat lot of good it'll do them. That was Aiyokumon's territory. The Zaigou know those passages."

JP felt a lump catch in this throat.

"Is there nothing that can stop them?" he asked.

"You DigiDestined are our only hope," Digitamamon sighed. "The rebel armies are doing their best, but at this rate our world is going to be left in nothing but ruins."

JP frowned but remained silent as he followed the egg Digimon into a dining room.

"…Are we in Sekizou Palace?" JP blinked.

"It's the only safe place left in this region. Sekizou's army is small, but strong," Digitamamon informed him. "Lord Byakkomon is evacuating the entire city to bring them all into his Palace walls. He's even sending troops to encourage those who've fled into the mountains to come back where it's safer. But it's like I said, there are few safe places left in this world. Lets hope that your friends have made it somewhere safe."

"Yeah," JP sighed, staring off into space. "Me too."

"JP?"

With a jolt JP looked up at the table and saw that Izzi seated at the end of the table with his laptop open before him.

"Izzi!" JP grinned. "Boy is it good to see you."

"Good to see you're finally awake," Izzi smiled back tiredly.

"Isn't anyone happy to see me?"

"Hello Tentomon," JP laughed as the beetle Digimon flew in and landed next to his partner.

"Hello JP. It really is a relief to see you awake," Tentomon tittered. "You weren't looking to good when we found you."

"Really?" JP blinked. "What happened?"

"Jervmon scattered us all over the place," Izzi frowned. "Tentomon and I managed to land in the palace pool. You weren't so lucky. You fell through the roof and the floors of a two-story building. We found you in the basement. From what I can tell you were still in your Warrior Spirit form when you fell. It absorbed most of the impact so you're not nearly as bad as you should be."

"Funny, I ache enough," JP chuckled as he sat down opposite Izzi in front of a plate of food. "So what are you up to?"

"I'm trying to track down the others using their digivice signals," Izzi sighed. "Unfortunately I can only locate those who have my model of digivice. The seven signals I can locate are all over the place."

"Do you think you might be able to find my friends if I give you my D-Tector?" JP asked before taking a bite out of what he assumed was a salad.

Izzi paused.

"It's worth a shot," the older boy mused. "I might be able to if I…"

While Izzi trailed off into techno-babble JP took out his D-Tector and handed it over. He continued to eat his meal and chatted with Tentomon and Digitamamon about the goings on in Sekizou while the genius poured over his laptop. It sounded like the palace was pretty large and wasn't even full yet since only half of it's citizens were behind it's walls while the other half resided in the mountains. JP hoped that Izzi could find their friends, but more importantly he hoped that everyone was safe.

* * *

Everything hurt. Oh God why did everything hurt? There was a sharp pain in his left wrist, his right leg burned, and everything ached. What had happened? He tried to gage the severity of his injuries by flexing slightly, but even the slightest movement hurt. Apparently he was in pretty bad shape.

"Henry?"

"…Terriermon?" he gasped. Gods even talking hurt.

"Henry!"

"Easy Terriermon. He's in a lot of pain."

That was a girl's voice… he knew that voice too. It wasn't Ai or Suzie's voice, or Jeri or Rika's… Didn't sound like the older girls Mai, Mimi, and Sora. It didn't belong to any of the female Digimon he'd met so that left Zoe and Yolei… He wasn't sure how long ago the fight with Jervmon and Netamashiimon was, but Zoe had used up a lot of energy in her fight so that left…

"…Yolei?" Henry whispered. Ah much better. Low voice, less strain on the vocal cords.

"Yeah it's me," the girl said softly. "How are you feeling?"

"…Sore," Henry murmured and finally managed to open his eyes.

"Well ya did fall through a thatched roof, crashed through a second story floor and landed with a crunch on top of a quilting loom!" Terriermon cried with a huff, but his exasperated tone was ruined by the worried wobble and crack at the end.

"Is that what happened?" Henry mused. "Now that I think about it, I do remember getting caught up in web of thread. Did I end up skewering myself or something? My wrist and leg hurt quite a bit."

"…The outside of your right leg was slashed open by a sharp spoke that splintered on impact. It went in pretty deep," Yolei explained. "As for your wrist the Lillymon that treated you thinks it might be broken. She's going to give you another healing session as soon as the healing crystals are recharged. You lost a lot of blood out of that gash in your leg."

"What about you? Were any of you injured?" Henry asked.

"A little bruised, but I'm fine," Terriermon huffed.

"I'm alright too," Yolei smiled slightly. "But Hawkmon got hurt when he shielded me. His left wing was banged up pretty bad. He's resting now."

Henry looked past Yolei and spotted the lavender haired girl's partner dozing in the bed next to his.

"Is he alright?" Henry asked.

"He's fine," Yolei smiled more sincerely. "It's mostly healed by now. Those crystals that they use here for healing are quite amazing."

Henry nodded but after looking around he realized that something was missing.

"Is Suzie here?" he asked.

"Sorry Henry," Terriermon shook his head. "We don't know where she is."

"According to Darkmon, everyone was scattered by Jervmon's teleport ability," Yolei said quietly. "I'm sorry Henry, but there's now way of knowing where Suzie ended up. She could be anywhere."

Henry had to hold back a sob. Gods… Suzie. What if she fell as badly as he had? Was she hurt? Was she even alive? No! He wasn't going to think like that. She had to be ok… she HAD to be. She was only five! Oh God…

"Hey, I'm sure she's fine Henry," Yolei said softly, resting a hand on his shoulder, gently massaging it. "Suzie's an amazing little girl. I bet she can charm any Digimon she meets and maybe one of the others found her. We landed in the same area. I'm sure she landed near someone else who could help her. And she has Lopmon."

"She's right Henry!" Terriermon rallied. "Suzie's one tough little cookie. I'm sure she's safe. We'd know if she was in any real trouble. Your brotherly instincts would tell you that."

Henry looked up at his partner and over to Yolei, both looking at him earnestly.

"Henry as soon as you're better, I promise we'll try our best to find out what happened to Suzie," Yolei informed him. "I'm sure Lord Suzakumon has plenty of connections to help with the search and I'll have Darkmon get right on it the next time I see her, but right now you need to rest. You can't help your sister if you're still hurt."

Henry sighed, nodding. A minute later he allowed himself to fall asleep once more.

* * *

Mimi gasped as Lillymon snatched her out of mid air.

"Whoa!" Lillymon gasped. "And I thought you were heavy when we were fighting the Dark Masters!"

"I'll have you know I am extremely fit! I'm a size one!" Mimi cried.

"Whatever," Lillymon grunted as she smoothed out their descent. "Hold on tight! This is going to be rough!"

"Hold on to what?" Mimi squeaked indignantly as they came closer and closer to the ground.

"Here we go!" Lillymon cried and the next thing Mimi knew she was rolling down a steep hill.

"Oh these grass stains are going to be murder to get out," Mimi huffed as she examined her green streaked attire after she came to a stop. She was really glad that she didn't have a mirror on her. She was sure that she looked horrible and was covered in grass and dirt.

"That could have been better," moaned the voice of not Lillymon, but little Tanemon, her Digimon partner's In-Training form.

"Tanemon! Are you alright?" Mimi gasped as she picked up her partner.

"Just a little tired," Tanemon muttered. "It's been a while since I've reached Ultimate."

"Well you just rest," Mimi ordered as she rose to her feet and readjusted her pack on her back with her free hand. "I'll take it from here. Oh boy just where in the Digital World are we?"

Looking around Mimi realized that she and Tanemon were standing in the middle of a battlefield. After all she had faced with her friends during their first adventure she knew a battlefield when she saw one.

"What happened here?" Mimi gasped.

"A victory against Kushyamon's forces."

Mimi squeaked in surprised and spun around to face a familiar face.

"Gallantmon!"

"Hello Miss," the knight Digimon bowed. "And just what are you doing here?"

"I honestly don't have a clue," Mimi laughed. "We just sort of fell out of the sky. Now tell me Gallantmon, where are we and what happened here?"

"You're in the plains west of Kushyamon's domain," Gallantmon informed them. "Kushyamon's forces were moving to ravage the west like it's done with the east, but my troops succeeded in holding them off. The battle was won only last night."

"Then what are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be with your troops?" Mimi asked.

"I saw you fall from the sky," Gallantmon stated. "I thought you might be one of my scouts. I've been waiting for one for a while now from Embermon who's fighting the harder fight in the east."

"I see," Mimi frowned.

"Come," Gallantmon sighed. "This is no place for idle chatter. My men are tired and in need of treatment. You look like you could use some treatment yourself."

"It's only a couple of scratches," Mimi blushed. "I'm sure your men need treatment more than I do."

Gallantmon merely shrugged and let her off the battlefield and into a nearby forest. When they entered a clearing Mimi had to swallow her gasp. Injured Digimon were everywhere and there was the strong smell of burns and gunpowder. There was also a prickling buzz in the air that told her that a lot of healing crystals had been used. But what really got her was how few in number these Digimon troops were.

"The price of victory," Gallantmon muttered grimly. "I lost hundreds of good men today. Half of my guard is gone. Two thirds of my volunteers completely wiped out. This is all that's left.

"…Is there anything I can do to help?" Mimi asked.

"Do you know how to use healing crystals?" a voice asked.

Mimi jumped and faced a Digimon that looked like Wizardmon, only with a snow theme.

"This is Sorcermon, our field medic," Gallantmon introduced. "He'll show you what you can do. If you'll excuse me Miss, I need to talk to my captains."

Mimi nodded at the knight before facing Sorcermon.

"No, I don't, but I'm willing to learn," Mimi stated. "Anything I can do to help."

"You sound just like that boy," Sorcermon's eyes crinkled in a smile.

"Boy?" Mimi blinked. "What boy?"

* * *

Suzie cried hysterically as she clung tightly to Turuiemon. They were being chased by these mean birdie Digimon.

"Faster Turuiemon! Faster!" Suzie screamed.

"I'm trying Suzie," her partner gasped as she bounded over a fallen log.

Suzie couldn't remember being the scared before. Henry wasn't anywhere and neither was everyone else.

"Someone help us!" Suzie cried.

"Big Ice Blast!"

Suzie gasped as the bird Digimon scattered back with an alarmed squawk as a beam of ice froze the ground right in front of them.

"Suzie!"

"Hen-wee?" Suzie gasped.

"No! It's Michael and Seadramon!" Turuiemon cried with relief. She just wasn't in any sort of condition to fight so seeing those two was a huge relief.

"Seadramon! Take care of those Kiwimon!" Michael ordered as he and his Digimon appeared out of the tree line to their left.

"On it!" the serpent Digimon nodded before chasing off the Kiwimon with large swipes of it's tail.

"Are you two alright?" Michael asked as he rushed forward to join them.

"We're good," Turuiemon sighed. "But I don't think I can hold this form much longer."

"That's ok. You can rest now. Come here Suzie," Michael said softly.

Suzie eyed the yellow haired man for a moment before allowing her partner to hand her over to the American. A second later Turuiemon sighed and dedigivolved into Kokomon.

"Lopmon!" Suzie cried. "Are you oh-tay?"

"I'm fine Suzie," the In-Training Digimon sighed. "And I'm Kokomon now, not Lopmon."

"Oh," Suzie nodded before Michael lowered her to the ground so that she could pick her now-small partner up and hold her like she would with one of her baby dolls that she had back home. "Are you hurt?"

"No, Suzie," Kokomon smiled. "I'm just tired."

"Oh-tay," Suzie nodded. "You west then. Nurse Suzie is gonna take good care of you."

"And I'll take good care of Suzie," Michael promised.

Suzie looked back up at the blonde boy but didn't say anything. She hadn't ever talked to this boy before so she was understandably a little nervous, but he'd helped chased the mean birdies away so he had to be good. Suzie also liked his smile and anyone who had a nice smile like Takuya had to be a nice person.

"All clear!" cried a voice.

Suzie looked away from Michael and saw the tadpole Digimon waddle over to them.

"That's great Betamon," Michael smiled.

"So what do we do now?" Betamon asked.

"Umm…" Michael looked around them and so did Suzie. "Keep going down hill? We'll reach the summit sooner or later."

"We could take the tunnel!" Suzie squealed after she spotted the dark hole to their right.

"Tunnel?" Michael blinked.

"Yeah!" Suzie grinned. "It'll keep us out of da wain."

Michael blinked again and looked up. Sure enough there were dark clouds hovering ominously above them.

"Ok then," the older boy smiled. "The tunnel it is."

"Yay!" Suzie cheered.

"Common then Suzie," Michael said as he took her free hand. "Lets get in that tunnel before it starts to pour."

"Oh-tay!" Suzie laughed, swinging their arms. "Maybe Hen-wee's in there!"

"Uh… yeah," Michael paused. "Maybe."

"He will be because Hen-wee's smart," Suzie said firmly. "Hen-wee won't stay out in da wain so he will be in da tunnels to stay dwie."

Confident in her opinion Suzie marched toward the tunnel with Michael's hand wrapped warmly and firmly around her own. It wasn't Henry or Takuya's hand, but it was still warm and Suzie knew that she could trust this boy. He'd keep her safe until she found Henry and Terriermon.

* * *

"I think I've got it!" Izzi cheered. He'd just managed to find the other four digivice signals belonging to the other four Warrior DigiDestined. Takuya didn't have one though after his digivice was cremated with his body, so he was the only one Izzi wouldn't be able to locate.

"Really?" JP asked, looking up from his conversation with Tentomon and Digitamamon.

"I believe I have," Izzi nodded confidently. "I have four D-Tector signals and seven digivice signals. The closest signal is actually in the mountains."

"From what kind of digivice?" JP asked.

"One of the digivices like mine," Izzi stated. "Everyone else is scattered all over. Two of the digivice signals are even paired together."

"Can you tell who's who?" JP asked.

"…Not yet," Izzi muttered. "I still can't pick up the signals belonging to the Tamer's digivices or the D3's belonging to Davis and his group… No…"

Izzi's eyes grew wide as he checked the locations of each digivice.

"What is it?" the other three demanded.

"…Someone is with my digivice model is being held in Kushyamon's territory," Izzi whispered. "Someone other than Davis and Ryo has been captured."

"Wait, Ryo got caught?" JP blinked at him. "How do you know that?"

"Netamashiimon said something about another of the Zaigou taking him," Izzi frowned. "That means at least three of our friends are being held captive. But for what purpose?"

"I don't think I want to know," JP frowned. "If it's anything like what happened to Takuya… it can't be good."

"What do we do now Izzi?" Tentomon asked him.

Izzi frowned. He wasn't sure. Even though he was a strategist Tai was the one that usually came up with the plan. There were so many things they could do. He could try to locate more of the other DigiDestined, they could help with the evacuation of Sekizou into the palace, they could help around the palace, they could help with the Digimon hiding in the mountains… or even better they could find the DigiDestined in the mountains.

"I think we should see if we could join the next expedition into the mountains," Izzi finally stated. "If we do we might be able to find whoever it is that's up there."

"Sounds good to me," JP grinned.

"Indeed," Tentomon nodded.

"I'll see what I can do about that," Digitamamon stated, "But you, JP, need more rest. You're still beat up from your fight with the Zaigou."

Izzi watched the younger boy wince.

"You too smarty-pants," Digitamamon stated, glaring at Izzi. "Get off your computer and get some sleep. You're going to be no help to anyone if you can't even stay awake. Trekking through Sekizou Mountains is quite a hike. Rest now while you can. I'll wake you if I have any news."

"…Right," Izzi sighed. Now that he thought about it he really was tired. "Common Tentomon."

The three of them retreated to their rooms that were in a private wing and located right across the hall from each other. Izzi set his laptop to the side before falling back against the soft sheets of his bed. He mentally ran the locations of his friend's digivices over in his head wondering who could be where. Some part of him told him that Tai was still in Shinrin. He hadn't gotten caught up in Jervmon's scramble so he was the only logical choice to go with that digivice signal. As for the others he had no clue. None of them were with each other, though one of them was with one of JP's friends.

He tried to sleep but his brain wouldn't shut down and he kept worrying about the one digivice signal that told him that one of his friends was deep within enemy territory. Matt, Sora, Mimi, Joe, Michael, Willace… it could be any one of them. The thought made his throat tighten.

"Please be safe whoever you are," Izzi whispered as he prayed for whichever of his friends was somewhere in enemy territory. Then he drifted off into a deep restless sleep.

* * *

Takato didn't like this. He didn't like this one bit. For one he was alone and chained to the wall of a dimly lit cell and he had no idea where he was or where Guilmon was. All he knew was the he was in trouble and that Guilmon was nowhere that he could see.

"Hello!" he called out for what felt like the hundredth time, but like all the times before no one answered him.

With a sigh Takato contemplated his situation. There was nothing else to do anyway. The last thing he remembered was that bright light that Jervmon had ignited and the sensation of falling. After that… nothing. He just woke up in this cold dark cell, his pack gone and Guilmon missing.

Some time later he finally heard a heavy loud clang followed by the scuffle of feet.

"You're in luck kid," a gravely voice told him as whoever was approached his cell. "You've got a new cellmate."

Takato looked up wearily as the cell doors were opened and a Diaboramon entered the cell with a limp Joe in his arms. The Digimon dropped the unconscious teen in a heap on the side of the cell opposite of Takato and proceeded to chain the blue-haired teen's arms up like Takato's. He didn't look good even in the dim lighting of the cell. There were spots of blood all over him. The sight made Takato feel sick.

"Joe?" Takato called out to the other hesitantly after the Diaboramon left.

When the other boy didn't respond Takato crawled over to him, taking in all the injuries. There was a bad looking gash on the side of Joe's head where the hair was matted and dusty. Looking around, Takato spotted a water pail near the door to their cell and scrambled over to get at it. He tore a section of his shirt off and dunked it in the water before bringing it back over to Joe. He then gently began to clean the wound to the best of his abilities in the poor lighting. The blood was dried so it took a little bit of scrubbing to clean it away. Takato could only pray that he was doing it right.

What felt like hours later, a new bucket of water was supplied along with a meager meal of hard bread and some dried meat. With a sigh, Takato ate his half of the meal and saved the rest for Joe. He wondered if any of the others were somewhere in this dungeon. He hoped not.

"…Ngh…" groaned the teen.

"Joe?" Takato gasped. "Joe, can you hear me?"

"…Takato?" Joe blinked his eyes open before clenching them shut in pain.

"Don't move," Takato warned. "Your head is hurt pretty badly. There was a lot of blood. I tried to clean the wound as best as I could."

Joe winced.

"I can feel it," the older boy groaned. "I've never been a fan of pain. Especially hits to the head. Gah… Where's Gomamon?"

"I don't know," Takato sighed. "I haven't seen either of our partners since I woke up here. You were brought in alone."

Joe seemed to consider this for a while. Either that or his head wound was affecting him more than Takato had thought.

"Any ideas where we are?" Takato asked.

"…Well we're definitely in enemy territory," Joe sighed. "I'm not sure how deep we are, but we've got to be pretty close to the center of it."

"How do you figure that?" Takato blinked.

"Can't you hear the sound of marching?" Joe asked. "And the hum of Tankmon? It can be pretty annoying."

Takato cocked his head to the side and listened. Sure enough he heard the crunch of gravel beat down by heavy feet and a low hum in the air.

"So we're close enough to the enemy's troop base," Takato frowned.

"No, I think we're _in_ the base," Joe whispered.

Takato swallowed. He really didn't like the sound of that.

"We have got to find Gomamon and Guilmon and get out of here," Joe said firmly. "As soon as I'm better we need to form a plan."

"So what do we do for now?" Takato asked.

"The smart thing," Joe grimaced. "We keep our heads down and be good little prisoners, but keep watch. Always watch."

"You mean like in those action movies where they learn the feeding schedules and guard shifts?" Takato asked.

"You got it," Joe nodded, but flinched right after with a groan. "We learn everything there is to know about where we're being held. Hopefully once we've gathered enough information we'll find a way to get out of here."

Takato nodded. He hoped it worked.

* * *

"Oww…" Kari groaned. "That could have been a better landing."

"At least the tree's broke our fall," Gatomon sighed, jumping from branch to branch to reach Kari where she was dangling from her belt that had somehow gotten snagged on a branch. Her whole stomach felt bruised from the impact.

"So what do we do now?" Kari sighed. "Can you get me down?"

"Not without dropping you the rest of the way to the ground," Gatomon snorted.

"Well are you up to Armor Digivolving into Nefertimon?" Kari asked.

"I could, but the trees are too closely packed together," Gatomon scowled in frustration. My wings would get caught in the branches before I could even free you."

Kari sighed. "Now I know how Miko feels when he gets stuck up in a tree."

Gatomon snickered.

"Oh what are we going to do Gatomon?" Kari cried exasperatedly.

"Need a hand up there?"

Startled, Kari and Gatomon looked down and saw Koji staring right back up at them with one eyebrow raised.

"Koji!" Kari cried feeling relieved.

"You alright up there?" the boy Warrior of Light asked her.

"Well I've been better," Kari sighed. "I could use a hand getting down though."

Koji shook his head, but he began to climb the tree Kari was in. When he reached her he began to check out the situation. Kari suppressed a blush as Koji's eyes roamed over her backside. She knew that he was seeing how stuck she was, but the woman in her couldn't help but think that he was checking her out.

"Alright, it doesn't look too bad," Koji sighed. "You just need to be lifted up high enough back over the branch. I'll lift. Gatomon, cut the branch when I get her high enough."

Kari saw Gatomon nod and then felt an arm wrap around her mid-section. She gasped a bit when she felt Koji lift her.

"Don't get excited," Koji grunted. "Just remain calm."

'_Easy for him to say_,' Kari thought. '_And what does he mean "don't get excited?" I-! Ah!_'

Kari blushed as Koji's arm drifted up a little resting right below her bust line.

'_Ok those are bad thoughts Kari. You're dating TK!_'

"Kay Gatomon," Koji gritted out. "Kari I need you to be prepared to find a hand hold. I'm not going to be able to hold you for more than a few more seconds."

"O-OK," Kari nodded.

"Ready?" Gatomon asked. "Three, two, one!"

Koji lifted Kari a few centimeters higher before she heard the crunch of Gatomon's Lighting Paw breaking the branch off. Then Kari felt herself spin to the side and her hands thrust forward to grab anything. She was relieved to find a sturdy handhold in a hole in the tree. Her heart thudded rapidly like a rabbit's within her chest as she gasped, clinging to the tree.

"You two alright?" she heard Gatomon ask.

"Just fine," Koji growled.

Kari looked back and saw that Koji had slid down half the length of the tree below her.

"I-I'm OK," Kari shuddered. "Thanks Koji."

"No problem," the boy grunted. "Lets just get out of this damn tree before we kill ourselves.

Kari agreed full heartedly and began to carefully climb down.

* * *

Matt wasn't sure what had happened after Jervmon unleashed that blinding light, but right now he knew that he wasn't where he should be. His first clue was that he was in a bed and not on Shinrin's evacuation tunnel's floor. Second there were two voices – older sounding voices at that – arguing in the background.

"Mister Matt? Are you awake now?"

Matt blinked his eyes open. What the-?

"Mako?"

"Yay! Ai! Mister Matt's awake!" the little boy yelled.

Matt winced. He forgot how loud little kids could be. It didn't take long for the boy's little sister to rush over.

"It's about time," he heard their partner, Impmon snort. "Yous can sure sleep buddy boy."

Matt shook his head as he sat up.

"Where's Gabumon and the others?" Matt asked looking around for his partner.

"Your shag carpet wearing friend is off runnin some errands fer Jijimon and Babamon," Impmon shrugged.

Matt frowned at the Rookie.

"And who are Jijimon and Babamon?" he asked.

"The Digimon that run the temple," Ai answered.

"Ah! You're awake now," an old woman's voice cried out happily followed by the appearance of the Digimon herself.

Matt winced again. Why was everyone being so loud?

"Uh yeah," he smiled. "Thanks for helping me."

"Oh it was no trouble young man," the old woman Digimon smiled with stitched lips.

"Nah, not with all tha other moochers stayin 'ere," an old man Digimon with a ridiculous beard and head of hair scoffed.

Matt raised his eyebrow at that, but noticed Ai and Mako snickering behind their hands. Impmon rolled his eyes.

"Are you hungry dears?" Babamon asked. "Of course you are! You're all growing boys and girls! I'll just step out and get you something. That Gabumon should have gotten back with those supplies with the Lalamon by now."

Still chattering away Babamon left the room with a grumbling Jijimon.

"They're funny aren't they?" Ai giggled.

"They're something alright," Matt shook his head.

"They're a buncha nut jobs if ya ask me," Impmon snorted.

"Impmon be nice!" Mako scolded.

Matt sat back and watched Ai and Mako talk about Jijimon and Babamon. He couldn't help but feel a little uneasy. He wasn't that good with little kids. His past experiences as an older brother hadn't helped. Tai had been better with that sort of thing. Matt just didn't have much patience with the subtleties' that needed to be taken with little kids.

"Mister Matt?"

Matt blinked. It was also weird to be called Mister.

"Uh…yeah Mako?"

"Are you ok?" the little boy asked. "You were sleeping when the flower Digimon brought you here."

"Oh uh… I'm fine," Matt smiled, hoping it didn't look as fake as it felt. Kids just made him feel awkward. "What about you two?"

"We're OK," Ai smiled.

"We haven't been awake too long anyway," Mako smiled. "We had just waked up when you came."

Matt nodded.

"Here we are dears," Babamon's voice trilled as she reentered the room with a large tray covered in small plates full of food.

"Thank you Babamon," Matt nodded, taking the tray from her and started divvying out plates between himself, Ai, Mako and Impmon while also saving something for Gabumon.

As they ate Matt thought about what should happen next. He knew he had to find the others, but it wouldn't be safe to bring Ai and Mako along on his own. He was more than likely to endanger them. But he couldn't just leave them here at the temple either. Who knew how safe this place was and for much longer? So for the moment Matt decided that they'd stay there and help out at the temple to see how things went. Who knew? Maybe one of their friends would wind up at the temple like he had.

* * *

Tommy grimly looked around at the place that he had landed in only half an hour ago. He'd seen his own Digital World devastated by war once back on that floating island where those human and beast type Digimon were having a civil war. Then there had been the time the Royal Knights were stripping the Digital World of it's Fractal Code. The current situation in this world wasn't all that different from either of those times. Digimon lay wounded all over the Rebel Army's camp and it appeared that Sorcermon was the only medic, so it had felt only natural to ask the healer Digimon if he could help in anyway.

It was a little surreal seeing a Sorcermon though after his pervious adventures in his own Digital World. He'd thought that Sorcermon were soldiers and fighters… not medics. But then again, Gallantmon had informed him that Sorcermon was a _field_ medic as opposed to a normal one. Of course Sorcermon had taken off someplace not even a minute after telling Tommy that he could be taught how to use healing crystals. Tommy doubted he'd be as efficient at it as JP and (especially) Joe, but some skill in healing was better than none. The medic had been gone for nearly ten minutes now.

"Ah! Tommy! So sorry about leaving you like that," Sorcermon's cheerful voice called out to him from across the way. "I was picking up another student. Might as well teach you both at the same time then separately right?"

Tommy was wondering what on Earth and Digital World the field medic was talking about when he was suddenly engulfed in a hug.

"Tommy! Oh I am so glad to see you," a whirlwind of pink and green said.

"Mimi?" Tommy blinked, after taking a second to recognize the older girl.

"Good to know you're well acquainted," Sorcermon chuckled. "Lets get to work now shall we? We've got a lot of troops to heal."

Tommy nearly did a double take as Mimi went from bubbly and cheerful to serious and determined. He'd seen the same look on Zoe's face once too. Were all girls this confusing? Shaking his head to clear it of the distracting thoughts that Mimi's appearance brought on, Tommy followed her and Sorcermon into the healing tent. He tried his best to focus on what Sorcermon was telling them as the Digimon dived right in, giving them a crash course in using healing crystals. It was very complicated and he was starting to wish he'd paid more attention to JP when his friend had explained about the energy flows.

Tommy tried to be patient, but he was becoming very frustrated very quickly after they had reached a point where Mimi had learned how to use the crystals well enough to go off on her own while he was still struggling. After a devastating attempt fifteen minutes later, Tommy took a break and calmed himself down. His negative emotions were only hindering his efforts, because he genuinely wanted to help these Digimon.

"If it helps, I think about all of the friends I've lost in the past," Mimi's voice sighed.

Tommy nearly jumped out of his seat and stared at her. The older girl was covered and scuffs, scratches, earth and grass stains and there was now sweat mixed in with the dirt. She smiled sweetly at him.

"If you think about all the friends you've lost in the past, try to focus on how many friends you can save in the future with these crystals," Mimi added on to her pervious statement. "Think of how it can come in handy when Joe and JP aren't around. At the moment they aren't and who knows where they are. We need to do our best in what we can do. Now I don't know about you, but I've never felt like I contributed enough to my team back when it was just the eight of us in the old days. Tai's the leader; Matt's his best leader and acts as secondary leader; TK and Kari were the little kids of the group everyone looked out for and are sort of the golden pair who can be wise beyond their years; Sora is the voice of reason and makes sure that everyone's alright; Joe's became our go-to guy who's always prepared and reliable and of course now he's our unofficial medic; and then there's Izzi and he's… well he's Izzi. What can't he do? Sometimes I think he's more important to the team than we all give him credit for. Me? …I used to be the girly-girl whiner who talked or complained too much… though Joe probably gave me a pretty good run at that when we first became a team."

Tommy stared at her. Why was she telling him all of this?

"Oh I'm babbling aren't I?" she laughed. "I suppose I'm trying to say just do your best. Don't think of this as something to do for everyone. Think of it as a way to improve yourself; a way to improve how you can help your friends. Do it for yourself though, Tommy. Because if you keep trying to live up to other's expectations… you'll only hurt yourself when you have a set back. You need to want to do this because _you_ want to. Not because it would help others. It may seem selfish, but I think that we need to be able to help ourselves before we can even start to help others."

Tommy considered her words and nodded, smiling. "Right."

Mimi beamed. Then she got up and started to leave.

"But I think you're wrong!" Tommy called after her. At her bewildered look Tommy grinned. "I'm sure you weren't just a whiner who talked too much, Mimi. You're someone who's completely honest and knows just what to say to inspire others. You're someone who makes others want to be better than they currently are."

That said Tommy turned away from her and went back to Sorcermon to try using those healing crystals again.

* * *

Ken wasn't exactly happy with where he'd ended up. It would just figure that he'd land in a bog. Now he was in damp clothing and he couldn't seem to get rid of the insects that swarmed around him. Did the Digital World even have normal kinds of bugs? Well this one did apparently. Miserably Ken traded his sticky clothes for a fresh pair out of his pack, which had mercifully remained dry. It was only a minor improvement. The insects still swarmed him.

"Common Wormmon," he sighed as they moved towards dryer ground. Unfortunately this led them into waist high grass.

"This isn't getting us anywhere," Ken groaned as he pulled out his D3. It still wasn't getting any kind of signal. Apparently no one was around (no one being TK, Kari, Davis, Yolei or Cody that is).

"Don't worry Ken," Wormmon said. "I'm sure we'll find someone soon."

"I suppose," Ken sighed and then nearly got his head taken off by a pink squealing blur that came flying right at his face. "What the?"

His dodge hadn't seemed to dissuade the pink thing though because it only spun around and came right back until it latched onto his arm squealing happily.

"It's MarineAngemon!" Wormmon blinked.

Ken immediately stopped mid-motion as he was prepared to attempt to fling the thing off his arm.

"MarineAngemon?" Ken blinked, angling his arm so that he could see the small Mega Digimon better.

"Puu!" it cried in delight.

"Wait… where's Kenta?" Ken asked, remembering the round faced bespectacled boy who was it's Tamer.

MarineAngemon twittered in a little panicky manner at the name before taking off, stopping every few meters to make sure that Ken and Wormmon were following. Not even five minutes later were they tripping over Zoe. Not who Ken had been expecting, but he wasn't going to complain. She looked like she could use some help too.

"Puu!"

Ken looked up and saw that MarineAngemon flitting about in full panic mode. There were signs that Kenta had been there and had only left recently. Just where had to boy gone? Then he heard the terrified scream.

"Wormmon!" Ken cried. "Digivolve and find Kenta."

His partner nodded and didn't waste a second more with words.

"Wormmon digivolve to… Stingmon!"

Once his partner finished digivolving and had taken off to find Kenta with MarineAngemon, Ken turned his attention to Zoe. He managed to lift her bridal style and took off after Stingmon. As he drew closer he could hear the sounds of a fight coming to a close. When he entered an area of trampled down grass he saw a hysteric Kenta cowering opposite him as Stingmon threw a Spiking Strike right through the heart of a tiger Digimon.

"Are you alright?" Ken asked.

"I-I-I… Th-th-think so," Kenta gasped. "Oh man… I-I thought I was d-dead!"

Ken nodded and passed the still unconscious Zoe over to his partner. Stingmon held her while he checked Kenta over and tried to calm the other boy down.

"It's okay, Kenta," Ken smiled. "You're safe now."

"And Z-Zoe?" Kenta shivered.

"Still asleep, but she looks alright," Ken nodded.

"I-I tried to l-lure that… lure Mihiramon away from her," Kenta gasped. "I-I was stupid… sent MarineAngemon away to find help or shelter… couldn't let her… couldn't let her pay for my mistake."

"It wasn't a mistake Kenta," Ken said gently. "Wormmon and I wouldn't have gotten here if time if you hadn't sent Marine Angemon away."

"…Just got lucky," Kenta mumbled.

"Everything is a gamble in the Digital World," Ken sighed. "And you made a good one, but right now we need to move. There might be more Digimon like Mihiramon out there."

Nodding, Kenta rose shakily to his feet with Ken's help. Ken looked around helplessly for a moment deciding that any direction was as good as the next. He could only hope that they found some shelter soon, because he didn't like the look of those clouds in the distance.

* * *

TK looked around his new surroundings wearily with Patamon resting on his shoulder tensely. They were a little beat up from their fall, but aside from a few new bruises and scrapes they were fine. All around them though was an empty town. A small town, granted, but there wasn't anyone around. There were signs of quick hurried packing and even downright abandonment in every house they checked. There were a few signs of breaking and entering in two of the wealthier looking homes, but still there wasn't any sign that anyone had been living here for at least a few days.

"Just were is everybody?" Patamon asked.

"I don't know Patamon," TK sighed. "It's practically a ghost town."

"What do we do now?" Patamon asked.

"Keep looking," TK frowned.

"But we've nearly searched every building!" Patamon exclaimed softly.

"I know Patamon, but we have to if only to figure out where we are," TK huffed. "Common, I think the building over there is the mayor's or whoever was in charge of this place's house."

The two then entered a nice house situated at the head of the town. Unlike the other simpler structures this one had a second story. The first floor was an office space. TK and Patamon combed the place looking for any clues. So far they could only tell from scattered paperwork and a couple photos that a Starmon and Deputymon had run the place. It was kind of ironic. Hadn't Davis, Cody, Sora and Yolei mention something about a western town being run by a Starmon back home in their Digital World?

"TK!" Patamon called from the back of the office space. "I found a map!"

TK looked up from the desk he's been going through and headed over to where his Digimon was hovering in front of a large wall map. Together they scanned it trying to figure out where they were. It didn't take long. Someone had put a star sticker over the dot meant to indicate the location of Star Plains Town. According to the map and star, TK and Patamon now found themselves in the Digital World's equivalent of America's Midwest. The two over them were literally in the middle of nowhere. The next settlement was several miles in any direction. The town was also situated right between Himizu City and the center of the continent where Kushyamon and his forces dwelled.

"What do we do now TK?" Patamon asked.

"We try to find clues as to why this town's occupants vanished," TK stated. "Everyone left in a big hurry for a reason. Some of those houses still have half eaten meals on the table."

"Where do we look first?" his partner asked.

"Here's as good a place as any to start," he answered. "I'll finish checking down here. You can get started upstairs Patamon."

"Ok TK," Patamon nodded before flying up the stairs to the second story.

TK began to look at the town records more carefully now, but not even five minutes later he heard Patamon let out a loud cry of alarm.

"Patamon?" TK shouted, but was met with silence.

Alarmed, TK raced up the stairs taking two at a time.

"Patamon?"

WHOOSH!

TK ducked just in time to avoid getting hit in the head and sent tumbling back down the stairs. He instinctively crouched down and rolled to the side coming up into a defensive position just in time to see…

"…Rika?"

"Nice moves Blondie."

TK stared owlishly at the red-haired girl who was poised to strike with what looked like a mop. She was a little worse for wear all scratched up and covered in dust, but looking up at the ceiling of the room, he realized that she must have fallen through the roof. Ouch.

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"Of course I am," she snorted, but then she paused. "Renamon's not though. I got lucky and landed on the bed. She landed in here."

TK then noticed the large dent in the splintered flooring to his left. Double ouch.

"Common Hat Boy," Rika sighed. "We'd better get under cover before they come again."

"Before who come again?" TK blinked.

Rika paused before looking over at him nervously.

"The Scavengers."

* * *

Koji grunted as he hopped down from the tree. Looking at his hands he grimaced. He'd scrapped them in his rapid decent right after freeing Kari. If the stinging was any indication he had a few splinters in there as well.

"Just great," he muttered.

Looking up he could see Kari finishing her climb with her partner practically hovering over her the entire time. The girl looked shaken, but otherwise fine. With a sigh he sat down to rest next to his pack back where he'd left it at the base of a nearby tree. Climbing had not been fun. He was exhausted and if it weren't for the newfound irritating stinging in his hands he might have just dropped off to sleep right there.

"Koji?"

Koji looked up and found Kari hovering worriedly over him. Had he fallen asleep after all or was he just that out of it that he hadn't noticed her finally get out of the tree and approach him?

"What?" he muttered sounding irritated. He winced internally. Great. Now he was being a complete jerk. She didn't deserve that. Not anymore at least. She had been pretty nice to his brother all things considering and it wasn't as if he wished her any ill will.

The girl frowned at him, but wordlessly took one of his hands in hers and examined it. A couple seconds later she was shrugging off her pack and rummaging through it before coming up with a case of some kind. It didn't look like a med kit, but thank goodness it had a pair of tweezers inside. Kari took his hand back carefully and began to take the splinters of wood out. Now normally he wouldn't let her do that for him, but since he was so thoroughly drained Koji grit his teeth and put up with it.

When she was done with that hand Gatomon handed her the mini first aid kits the packs had come with and the girl gently cleaned, sterilized and wrapped his hands. Then she moved on to his other hand and did the same. Koji's attention wavered and he found himself drifting in and out of consciousness under her careful ministrations.

"There," the girl sighed with a hint of triumph in her tone. "All done."

Koji blinked up at her, raising an eyebrow at her confident manner before closing his eyes again.

"Koji?" he heard her say worriedly. "Are you alright?"

"Just tired," he murmured, his consciousness going again. "Fighting Netamashiimon was no picnic and then getting you out of that tree? …I'm completely wiped out."

"Oh," Kari muttered, sounding embarrassed. Why? Koji's head was too far gone to figure it out.

"…Thank you," he managed to whisper before slipping into unconsciousness completely. He hoped she heard him. He wasn't good at this sort of thing, especially around girls.

* * *

Rika checked everything as she led TK into the bedroom she had landed in. Renamon was now resting on that bed and had remained where she's left her.

"Is she alright?" TK whispered.

"I'm fine," Renamon's cool voice answered. "Digimon are fast healers."

Rika nodded at TK in confirmation before peeking out the window, watching the shadows. TK must have noticed her cautious behavior because he asked, "Rika who are the Scavengers?"

She wasn't scared per se, but she was nervous. She'd heard about the Scavengers in both Himizu and Netsusa from the Digimon that worked in the palaces but when she had arrived in this town she could now appreciate their fear.

"The Scavengers are small teams of Digimon that Kushyamon sends out to abandoned and devastated towns and cities that his armies have already hit. They go along collecting anything of value and kill any stragglers and survivors from the initial attacks."

"So that's what happened here," TK frowned joining her by the window. "This town wasn't attacked. It was driven out."

"More like they had enough of a warning to evacuate before Kushyamon's army could get this far. There was no reason for the army to attack," Rika snorted. "So they sent in the Scavengers."

"Have you seen any since you've been here?" TK asked.

Rika shivered. She had. It hadn't been like any Digimon she'd ever seen before. The one she'd seen was serpentine in appearance and had a face straight out of nightmares with blazing red eyes, and fangs set in razor sharp teeth.

"I've seen one," she said softly, careful to keep her voice steady. "Coming out of the front of that house down there. And trust me, you don't want to see him."

"So we should probably stay here until the coast's clear and this Scavenger and his buddies clear out," TK frowned.

"No," Renamon stated. "We should do the opposite. It's dangerous to stay in one place for long. Rika, we've been here too long already. We need to move."

"Any ideas?" Rika asked.

"I think I know," Patamon piped up. "TK and I have already been in most of this town's buildings."

Rika looked at the hamster with bat wings.

"You're lucky you didn't run into anything," she muttered.

"But that only proves my point that we have to keep moving," Renamon sighed sitting up. "If we keep moving, the harder we become to find. These Scavengers aren't actively looking for us."

"Yet," Rika muttered.

"Then lets get a move on," TK stated. "Can you walk Renamon?"

"I can manage thank you," Renamon nodded.

"Lets go to the house down the street," Patamon suggested. "The Scavengers already looked there right? They might not come back for a while then."

"That sounds like a good idea," Renamon agreed.

"Fine," Rika muttered. "Lets go then before one comes and checks here."

Rika nodded and led the way down the stairs and to the front of the office. She peeked out the door to make sure that the coast was clear. After a minute of silent surveillance she was about to give the go ahead, but froze when the saw movement in the house across the street from the one they were headed to. It was the same Scavenger she'd seen earlier and he wasn't alone. There were two more with him and they were the same kind that he was. She heard TK take in a sharp, but thankfully soft gasp. So he had seen them now too. The three Scavengers seemed to be talking amongst themselves but then they turned and headed right towards the building that Rika, TK, Renamon and Patamon were in.

"Get back," Rika hissed. "They're coming!"

"Rika," Renamon's voice called out softly to her. "I found a hidden trapdoor."

Spinning around Rika and TK rushed over as quickly as they dared to where Renamon was holding up a small door that was beneath a desk.

"Get in there," she hissed at TK when he stopped – probably to offer her a 'Ladies first' kind of gesture. With a soft yelp he did as he was told and practically jumped into the dark space. Rika snatched Patamon out of the air where he was hovering and threw him in after his human before she scurried into the space as well. Renamon was right behind her and carefully lowered the door back into place.

The space was a little snug with three full sized beings inside since it seemed to be no bigger than a broom closet. Rika was grateful that TK's Digimon partner happened to be so small. The four of them waited with bated breath as they heard the door to the building above them slam open.

* * *

When Ryo woke he wasn't sure where he was or even if he was actually awake. All that he knew was that he was in pain. Terrible pain. Everything was on fire and there was a high-pitched keening drilling into his ears… or was that just him screaming? It didn't matter. He was in so much pain that he was beyond carrying and beyond thinking about anything other than the pain at this point. All he knew was that everything hurt and burned and that if he wasn't dead then he was in hell. Just how long was this going to last? Would it be like this forever? If so, would he get used to it or would it always be as bad as it felt when it started?

"_**It's ok Ryo**_," A voice managed to say through all the pain. "_**Your suffering is coming to it's end. It won't be long now**_."

Who…?

"_**Just hold on. The transformation process is nearly complete**_."

Transformation? …What…?

"_**You'll soon have all the power you desire. You'll soon become the partner that you feel Hopmon deserves**_."

Hopmon? …Who…is…that?

"_**The process is going along better than I expected**_," the voice suddenly said gleefully. "_**He can't remember a thing**_."

Funny… he could hear the words… but couldn't understand their meaning. Oh Gods it hurt too much to think. What was happening again?

"_**But Garbamon! If he's forgotten everything then how will he be able to work with his partner?**_"

That voice… it's different from the other one… younger… a kid maybe? Oww… it hurts to think… and so much fire! Was he being burned alive?

"_**Oh but that's part of the fun little brother**_," the other voice laughed. "_**We can control what he remembers and how he remembers certain memories.**_"

"_**Ohh… Sounds like fun**_!" the kid's voice laughed.

"_**Doesn't it? He's nearly done. See? He's starting to heal now.**_"

The burning seemed to suddenly increase ten fold. Ryo gasped, screamed, coughed, he wasn't really sure, but it felt like every inch of skin was being flayed off his body and every muscle, organ and bodily fluids were being scorched until they were burnt to a cinder. He wasn't capable of any thoughts now, any scrap of conversation that he'd just heard was wiped out of mind and all that he could feel and focus on was the intense and blinding pain. Oh God if only it'd end!

And then it did. The burning suddenly stopped and a cool and wonderful feeling of relief spread all through him. It was as if someone had put a balm cream on a blistering sunburn. Ryo sighed as the feeling covered him from the tips of his toes to the ends of his hair. And slowly he drifted off. He could feel darkness descending upon him in a blanket made of the same comfort and relief that he had felt after the burning stopped. He gratefully sank into it's depths and the dreamless pain-free sleep it offered him.

* * *

"Hello Cody," Koichi smiled warmly at the other boy.

"How did you end up down here?" Armadillomon asked him.

Koichi grimaced. It hadn't been fun to say the least.

"I crash landed through a rusted manhole and into an old sewer line upstream so to speak," he wrinkled his nose. "I nearly thought I was going to drown. If it weren't for a refugee pair of Veggiemon I probably would have. You?"

"Don't really know," Cody shrugged. "The Numemon dragged us into the sewers to save us from the Scavengers."

"I've heard quite a bit about these Scavengers," Koichi mused. "The stuff of nightmares some say."

"Are we in any danger right now?" Cody asked.

Koichi raised an eyebrow at that.

"I think no matter where we go there is danger Cody," he sighed. "This world is being taken over by a hostile force. I doubt any place is safe for long."

"I meant to ask if we are in any immediate danger," Cody asked looking a little irritated. "Your… err… you know. Can you sense anything? Like if the Scavengers are close by or not?"

Koichi chuckled, feeling slightly amused how self conscious Cody was by being – or at least trying to be – discreet about his Warrior Element. He tried to focus though. Hearing about these Scavengers was enough to put him on edge. There was nothing overly sinister nearby, but there was definitely some darker movements in the shadows further behind them in the sewers. Without deeper concentration, though he couldn't make out much other than a flicker of malicious and murderous intent. Those must be the Scavengers. They were still a ways off, but were heading in their direction. He told Cody as much as they kept up with the rest of the refugee group.

"Are they moving fast or slow?" Armadillomon asked.

"…A moderate pace," Koichi shrugged after concentrating on the dark shadows again for a moment. "But that's probably slow for them. We're in the sewers and if these things hunt by picking up an following a scent then sewer and the buckets of Numemon slim are probably slowing them up."

"What have you heard about these Scavengers?" Cody asked.

"Oh the usual," Koichi frowned with a shudder. "No survivors and all that boogieman stuff. I've even heard that Kushyamon created these creatures himself and that they aren't really Digimon… but I've also heard that they are wicked fast and that that's why no one can fend them off and that there are no survivors."

Cody gulped.

"I think there might be some exaggeration though," Koichi smiled grimly. "Someone's had to have survived an attack if there are such rumors. How else would we hear about them?"

Cody looked a little at ease hearing that, but Koichi shivered internally. He knew that just because there was a survivor to spread the rumors didn't mean that the survivor hadn't been allowed to live. Some cruel sick minds did that sometimes. They'd leave a survivor or two alive enough to spread the word of their infamy.

Koichi had to hold back another shiver. Sometimes being the Warrior of Darkness and having worked for the other side was more of a burden in these situations. Koichi had too well of an understanding of what kinds of plans Kushyamon could be planning for this world's inhabitants. Hell! He could probably come up with a rather few gruesome plans of his own. As useful as this knowledge could be, it did nothing to keep the nightmares at bay. Koichi was surprised that he was even able to sleep most of the nights he'd spent in this world. It was so steeped and cloaked in Darkness he felt both empowered and overwhelmed. It helped to have Koji and TK around but neither of them were nearby. He would have been able to sense it through the links he had with them through the personal bonds he had with them.

Koichi was listening to Cody talk to one of the Numemon about the route they were taking to the tunnels when Koichi suddenly felt a huge spike of pain. With a gasp he fell to his knees into the sewer water.

"Koichi!" Cody shouted, but he sounded like he was far away even though he should only be about a meter or two away.

But all he could comprehend at that moment was a burning pain… melting…utter agony… Someone was descending into darkness. Painfully so… Someone he knew…not close, but someone… He was fading…falling away from the light…yo…Ryo… It was Ryo!

"What about Ryo?" Cody asked.

Suddenly everything snapped into focus and Koichi found himself draped across Armadillomon's shell which was the only thing keeping him out of the sewer water completely.

"Ryo's dead," Koichi gasped and knew with a chilling uncertainty that his words were true in so many different ways.

* * *

Zoe was floating. Or at least that's what it felt like. She felt weightless and free as she rose and fell with the wind's currents.

She was really out of it. She couldn't remember much after fighting Jervmon after the bright light… were those voices? She tried to listen as she came nearer and nearer to consciousness.

"…Asleep for a while," someone was saying. A boy.

"I'd assume so," another boy said back. "She fought with Jervmon the whole time. He didn't look like an easy opponent. She knocked him down with everything she had and he still got up with enough energy to scatter us like this."

"Do you think she'll be alright Ken?" a different voice asked. This one was male too, but it had a slight wobble to it.

"I don't know Wormmon," the second boy answered – Ken she assumed.

Wait… Ken. She knew that name. Yeah… Ken was that boy who looked like he could be Koji and Koichi's triplet. And that wobbly voice belonged to his partner Wormmon. She really hadn't spoken to Ken much at all.

"Look! She moved!" the first boy exclaimed. A happy squealing sound followed as if echoing the boy's sentiment.

His voice was starting to sound familiar too… Yeah. The small round faced glasses boy with the cute Digimon partner that didn't speak. MarineAngemon. Wasn't his name Ken-something too?

"She must be close to waking," Ken said, sounding relieved.

How long had she been out? Well it was time to wake up and find out… of course that was easier said then done when her eyelids felt like they were made of lead and glued shut. Then again her whole body felt as if it were made of lead. She let out a frustrated growl.

"She doesn't sound happy," Wormmon's voice worried.

"That's cause I can't move anything," she grumbled, eyes still shut.

"Kenta, hand me my pack," Ken ordered.

Ha! Kenta! That was the other boy's name. She knew it had started with Ken!

"Thirsty?" Ken asked.

"…Parched," she admitted.

"Help me sit her up," Ken said.

A minute later she was propped up against something so that she could drink. God did that water taste good! She splashed some of it into her eyes to help get them open. She wasn't sure she liked what she saw though. Ken and Kenta both looked like they'd taken a trek through the mud. Hair was covered in sweat and grim and their clothes looked just as soiled. Wormmon only looked marginally better and even MarineAngemon looked a little more ruffled and dirty than normal. She could only imagine what she looked like. Now she could practically feel the grim coating her own skin and clothes.

"Where are we?" Zoe asked.

"As far as we can tell? Somewhere in the middle of a never ending field of itchy tall grass," Kenta grumbled.

"Climate is way too different to be anywhere near Shinrin," Ken sighed. "I'd place us somewhere more south geographically speaking. Maybe somewhere between Netsusa and Sekizou. This was the only form of shelter we were able to find."

"Fantastico," Zoe grumbled as she looked around their earthen shelter. They appeared to be in a small hovel of some kind. It looked like an abandoned bunker.

"Could be worse," Kenta sighed.

"How so?" Zoe groused.

"We could be out in that rain," the glasses boy nodded towards the hovel's entrance where she could now see a steady stream of water pouring down. How their underground shelter wasn't flooded she wasn't sure, but she wasn't going to complain.

"I don't know about that. Give me ten more minutes and I'll be out there washing this gunk off me," Ken grumbled as he pushed grimy raven locks away from his face. "Next time my mom offers me a hair cut, I'm taking it."

"I think I'll join you," Zoe grimaced as she pushed back a lock of her own hair.

She contemplated their situation for a minute before she reached out and snatched up her pack to look inside. Good. There was a thermal blanket still in there. Ken seemed to have caught on and checked his pack as well.

"Ready for a little improvised shower?" she grinned.

"You have no idea," the boy groaned before standing and helping her up. Together they made their way out into the rain.

"Hey! Wait for me!" Kenta yelled after them with Wormmon and MarineAngemon at his heels.

* * *

Davis looked around his new surroundings. He wasn't sure where he was, but he knew one thing. He didn't like it. He had woken up on a King sized bed in a room that looked like it belonged in the Grand Hyatt Tokyo Hotel or some other swanky five star joint. It just reminded him too much about what Koichi and TK had told everyone about their stay with Mai when she'd captured them as Paressemon. There was that and this room was just totally not his style. Way too clean and streamline. He was a kid for goodness sake, not an adult! Plus Veemon was missing and that made him feel extremely vulnerable.

Reluctantly he rolled out of the bed to explore. Maybe Veemon was in one of the other rooms of his "guest suite." There was a kitchen/dining room, a bathroom, and a library sitting room… oh Gods just kill him now and spare him from dying a slow and painful death cause by boredom. With a sigh Davis decided to make himself something to eat. No point in waiting with an empty stomach. To be honest though he was trying really hard not to be scared. Netamashiimon had captured him at last. He knew that much. But…

This place didn't really feel like it belonged to Netamashiimon though. It was… too mature. He was sure that if he was ever taken to whatever room that belonged to the Zaigou of Envy it would have everything a spoiled little brat could ask for ranging from a bouncy floor to a wall dedicated to sports or videogames. Something insanely childish like that.

Hours seemed to roll by and Davis was becoming increasingly on edge. He wished that something would happen already. The waiting was killing him. He wished that Netamashiimon would just do whatever it was he wanted to do with him and get it over with. …Wow… Was he really that suicidal? He'd never thought about that before. Sure things certainly hadn't been going for him over the last year but he still had his friends. Surely he wasn't that far gone to actually want to die… right?

"_Finally beginning to have doubts about that now are we?_"

Davis jumped and tumbled off his chair. A gleeful cackle echoed around in his head. Davis looked around wildly before realizing that the voice was coming from inside his mind… Oh man… was this how Takuya had felt when Aiyokumon had possessed him?

"_But I'm not possessing you_," Netamashiimon's voice pointed out amusedly.

"No but you're in my head you little freak," Davis scowled.

"_No need to be rude_," a different voice scolded lightly – this one a man's.

"And who are you?" Davis blinked. Oh man he was going insane. He was talking to voices inside of his head. As if Netamashiimon wasn't enough… maybe he was dreaming… no, he was awake. That meant that he had to be hallucinating!

"_Hey! Garbamon! Don't break him! He'd mine to play with! You have Ryo. If you want to talk to my new toy you're going to have to go speak to him in person so get off my telepathic chat line_!" Netamashiimon shouted, sounding peeved. Davis was so going to have a headache later. Wait…

"Ryo?" Davis gasped. "Where is he? What have you done to him?"

"_Oh Mister Akiyama is with us – the physical us – at the moment resting_," the unnamed voice answered in an offhanded tone. "_After all, dying and being repurposed is such a tedious manner_."

"Dying… he's dead?" Davis choked feeling like he was going to be sick.

"_For the moment_," the man's voice stated uncaringly. "_He'll be good as new soon enough. Even better though I must say_."

"What did you do to him," Davis demanded.

"_Oh dear I think I've upset him_," the man sighed. "_You'll see soon enough Mister Motomiya. I'll be brining him by later so that you won't be alone much longer_."

After that both voices stopped talking and Davis felt everything inside of him go cold. He wasn't sure he wanted to know what Netamashiimon's colleague had done to Ryo. But if he had been scared before, he was terrified now.

* * *

Tai sighed as he sat down heavily onto his chair across from Mai. The beautiful redhead was nursing a cup of what smelled like tea.

"Got anymore of that?" he asked.

Her only response was to reach and slide a full cup over to him. He nodded back in thanks.

"…Any luck?" she asked him after a few minutes of silence.

"No," Tai shook his head.

He had been out the last few hours with Agumon and SilverEmbermon trying to find Ryo. After hours of searching the ruins of the leveled buildings they couldn't find any signs of the other boy or his Digimon.

"I don't want to believe what Garbamon said, but…" he said softly.

He felt Mai's hand on his shoulder and he squeezed it back with one of his own. They stayed like that for a moment longer before she sat back in her seat. Tai was feeling drained bother physically and emotionally. Looking over at the bed where Takuya was still sleeping he couldn't help but feel at a loss. If Mai weren't there… Tai wasn't sure how he'd still be sane. While out looking for Ryo he, Agumon, and SilverEmbermon had ended up helping free some Digimon from the rubble. The air had been ominously still and quiet. Every now and then they'd hear the sound of rubble settling, but other than that… Tai could practically feel the sense of loss coming from Shinrin city itself. After their unsuccessful search the three of them had returned to the house that they were taking up refuge in. SilverEmbermon was standing silently in a corner with Salandermon and Agumon was resting at the foot of Takuya's bed.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

Tai jumped and sloshed tea all over his hands. Mai handed him a towel before making her way towards the door. Tai rose from his seat as well and joined SilverEmbermon and Salandermon as they edged towards the door to back up Mai just in case.

"Renamon?"

Tai looked over her shoulder and saw that it was indeed a Renamon, but the he knew better than to hope that it was Rika's Digimon partner. The fox Digimon looked relieved to see them though.

"I've been looking for you for a while now," Renamon sighed. "Is it just you two?"

"No, Takuya is with us but…" Tai shook his head.

"May I come in?" Renamon asked.

"Oh! Of course!" Mai gasped and scrambled back into Tai.

Instinctively Tai wrapped his arms around her to keep the redhead upright. He blushed when he realized how close they were. Mai immediately pulled back and squeaked out an apology, her face almost as red as her hair. When Tai looked up at Renamon the fox Digimon looked almost amused.

"So what's the word going around?" he asked to help move past the embarrassment.

"Have you heard anything about what happened in the evacuation tunnels?" the fox Digimon asked.

"No," Tai shook his head. "We only know that our friends have been scattered around the continent after their fight with the Zaigous of Envy and Gluttony."

Renamon blinked then let out a huge sigh of relief.

"Why?" Mai asked. "What happened?"

"The evacuation tunnels collapsed completely," Renemon whispered. "At the moment… there are no found survivors."

Tai shared a shocked look with Mai as he felt his insides go cold.

* * *

Mai could feel herself trembling. She could still remember seeing all of those Digimon fleeing into the tunnels ahead of her and the DigiDestined and then there had been all those others that had she had passed when she had left with Tai to find Takuya and Ryo. Looking into her companion's eyes she could see that Tai was remembering that too.

"We're digging to see if we can reach any survivors," Renamon stated, but she didn't need to say anything more for Mai to know that there was little hope. Thousands of Digimon had been in those tunnels and not one had been found alive yet.

"Do you know the cause?" she asked.

"For sure, no," Renamon shook her head. "We assume it had to do with the battle with the Zaigou. I was asked to see if I could find the DigiDestined that had stayed behind in this city to fight. I need you to come back to the palace with me."

"Why? What's going on?" Tai asked, sitting forward.

"Netsusa is gathering it's troops and the rebel army is calling out for aid," Renamon said grimly. "Kushyamon is making his move and allowing the Zaigou to strike all over the continent. Everything to the east of the mountains is completely ravaged. There's nothing left standing. With Shinrin in such a state of duress the east is as good as defeated. Lord Seiryuumon is gathering the remaining Digimon that survived last the siege and has decided to abandone Shinrin to move our troops to Netsusa where we'll join forces with Lord Suzakumon's."

"Sound's like the Four Lords are planning to a combined strike," Tai frowned.

"Combined strike?" Mai blinked, trying to clear her head enough to get on the same page as Tai.

"If Seiryuumon and Suzakumon are joining forces I'm going to assume that they're going to try and gain support from Byakkomon and Genbumon's forces as well," Tai stated looking at Renamon who nodded in confirmation. "Mai what do you think Kushyamon is up to right now loosing the Zaigou on the continent like he is?"

"He's going to wipe out every town and city until there is nothing left. That's what the Zaigou were created for. Creating complete and utter chaos," she answered.

"So what would you do to counter such a devastating attack on the world?" Tai asked.

Of course. Mai shut her eyes and sighed.

"I'd do exactly what the Four Lords are planning," she sighed. "Gather everyone together for a desperate campaign and hold off Kushyamon's forces as long as possible."

"Exactly," Tai and Renamon nodded in unison.

"We are all hoping that you DigiDestined will be able to help us defeat them if we can force Kushyamon into this head on assault," Renamon stated.

"So no pressure then."

Mai nearly jumped out of her skin as she, Tai, and Renamon turned to see Takuya sitting up on the bed with SilverEmbermon and Agumon's help.

* * *

Takuya grinned seeing Mai and Tai's shocked expressions.

"Seems that I've missed quite a bit since I've been asleep," he sighed.

He noticed Mai staring at him in astonishment.

"Something wrong?" he asked her.

"Oh… Nothing. It's just… You…you shouldn't be conscious yet," Mai blushed.

"No rest for the weary," he shrugged. "I don't think that I can move much though. Actually I don't think I'd be sitting if it weren't for Agumon and SilverEmbermon."

"Are you alright?" Mai fretted as she rose from her seat and began to fuss over him.

Takuya couldn't help but smile warmly at her. It was hard to believe that only a week ago this girl had been an enemy. She was so caring and had such a gentleness to her. And, if he was reading Tai right his bonded partner had a genuine feeling of romantic affection directed towards her as well and Tai was a good judge in character. It just shocked Takuya how such a sweet girl could be taken and warped into an agent of evil. He'd seen the same thing when he'd first met Koichi.

"I'm fine Mai," Takuya smiled reassuringly. "I could use something to drink though."

"Is tea alright?" she asked as she stepped back from him and hurried to the table where he could see a few cups and a pot.

"Tea is perfect," Takuya smiled at her before facing Tai. The older boy looked like he'd aged a few years since he'd last seen him who knows how many hours ago.

"You look like hell," he said flippantly.

"Have you looked in a mirror?" Tai retorted, but the older leader's irrepressible grin was ghosting around the corners of his lips. "It's good to see you up though. Mai was worried."

"And you weren't?" the redhead scoffed.

"As nice as this all is," Renamon cut in, "I'm afraid that I'm going to have to insist that you all come with me to the palace."

"Right then," Takuya nodded, taking his cup of tea from Mai and adjusting himself accordingly with SilverEmbermon and Agumon's help so that he could drink it. "As soon as I'm done with my tea."

"Takuya you can't even sit up on you own," Mai frowned.

"I could carry him," SilverEmbermon offered.

"Ah!" Takuya sighed after he managed to down all of his tea in one big swallow. "There! All set. Shall we?"

Mai opened her mouth to protest again, but Tai intervened.

"Let him be Mai. SilverEmbermon is more than capable of carrying him. We're not too far from the palace anyways."

Mai pursed her lips but nodded.

Takuya gave a grateful nod to Tai.

A few minutes later they were all set for real and headed for the palace. Although Takuya wasn't too happy about being carrying across SilverEmbermon's shoulder as if he were a sack of flour. It took about an hour to get there since they had to navigate through a lot of rubble. The reality of the battle that he'd fought not even twenty-four hours ago struck Takuya hard when he saw the devastation that had befallen Shinrin in the siege. As they got closer to the palace more and more injured Digimon could be seen limping up to medics stationed at the various gates. The entire courtyard before the palace was littered with wounded.

Inside the palace staff were racing about with messages and reports and updates on statuses from all over the city and troops were coming in and out of their barracks to prepare for the abandonment of Shinrin. Renamon brought them to the far most building of the barracks and left them there until Seiryuumon was free for a meeting. It was nicer than the hut they'd been staying in that's for sure.

Takuya found himself settled in on one of the beds as he watched Tai pace and Mai worry her lip as she watched him. Agumon was passed out on another bed and Salandermon and SilverEmbermon were both standing in a far corner conversing quietly amongst themselves. The two fighter types were probably talking strategy or about what might come to pass with Kushyamon's latest move. Takuya couldn't bother himself to heighten his senses enough to listen in. He was having enough trouble as it was keeping his acute focus off the amount of pain he was really in. Heightened senses were not what every kid reading a superhero comic thought and built it up to be.

"Tai, get some rest," he sighed. "You're worrying Mai and frankly buddy you look like you're about to pass out. So do us both a favor and sleep."

Tai stopped his pacing, glared at him for a moment, but eventually nodded and flopped limply onto the bed next to his.

"I will if you do," Tai muttered.

"Right behind ya buddy," Takuya chuckled tiredly. "…Right… behind ya…"

* * *

Will the DigiDestined be able to survive their verious trials and be able to find each other again? You'll have to wait and find out next time on Digimon Digital Monsters!

* * *

Man Takuya I am right behind you and as well. It is 5:19 AM where I'm at and I am tired but proud and excited as hell that I can finally bring this long ass chapte to you all. i really hope you enjoyed it because I litterally spent the last two days writing the last 2/3s (basically from JP to the end) of this chapter and only just finished it five hours ago before proof reading all three chapters i posted tonight so if there are grammer mistakes i am too damn tired to care right now. :P

I'll post a poll later today asking wich pair/group of character you want to follow in the next chapter for UGotD (if you don't want to participate in the poll just tell me in a review or PM), but please remember that this fic is still on hiatus. sorry. I know you've all waited a long time (7-8 months now), but hopefully this long ass chapter makes up for it. :P

Fun fact though, to decided the pairings/groups (except for Tai, Mai, Takuya, Davis and Ryo) I wrote everyone's names on a slip of paper and drew for lots for who would end up where so this really was a random process (though I did make sure that no one from the same group was paired together because that's just boring).

Thank you so much for your patience with this fic, i hope you enjoyed it, and please don't forget to review!

Happy 13th Anaversary Digimon! And go Michael Phelps who is now officially the greatest and most decorated Olympian ever! :D


	47. Getting One's Bearings

Wow... has it seriously been a whole year since I updated this? O.O Sorry peoples. Well, please know that even though I haven't updated this in a year, it is still very much alive... it's just VERY slow going, as I catch PW up. :P

Anyway, today marks the 14th anniversary for the digimon anime! :D And in celebration, you've already gotten the updates for Parent Worries and Drownings. I apologize for taking so long to post this chapter. I was busy all morning and afternoon and I was going to go through and edit this some more, but because it is getting late, I decided to screw that and just post this (so there will be more spelling errors than usual). But enough waiting! HERE IS THE NEXT UGOTD CHAPTER! :D Enjoy and review!

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE, 02, TAMERS, FRONTIER OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS!

* * *

Chapter 47: Getting One's Bearings

The Digital World: Location: Frigimon Village

Sora sighed tiredly as she watched over the boy and the still thawing robot Digimon. It had been a rough night. Kazu had broken out with a terrible fever in the middle of the night and Sora had been doing her best to bring it down. Currently the boy was sweating it out in a cocoon of blankets that the Frigimon in the village had managed to find. Sora did her best to wipe his face, arms and legs dry and supply him with cool water, but the fever just wasn't breaking. The boy's temperature kept rising whenever he was wrapped up in the blankets and dropping when Sora uncovered him to wipe up his sweat. These changes had been gradual at first, but now they seemed to switch every hour. Kazu's condition was worsening and he needed a doctor or someone who could help him. Sora wished for the thousandth time that Joe was with her. He'd know what to do.

"How are they?"

Sora looked up and spotted their Frigimon host.

"Hard to say," Sora admitted as she pressed her hand against Kazu's forehead. "I've never seen a fever this bad before. He's burning up."

"Have you tried cooling him down?" Frigimon asked.

"I have, but then he just starts shivering," Sora frowned. "I don't know what to do, Frigimon. He's really sick."

"Then you should take him to Himizu City as you planned," the female Digimon suggested. "The Otokomon should be able to help. The storm outside is letting up, so you should be able to leave within the hour. Until then, get some rest yourself. I'll look after these two."

Sora nodded, lying down to curl up beside Biyomon as she pulled her own blanket close around her. When she woke roughly an hour later from her nap, she checked on Kazu's condition, while Frigimon left to check on the weather outside. The boy was on the chilly side now, shivering in spite of all the blankets wrapped around him. Biyomon woke as well, stretching her wings while Sora moved on to check Guardromon's condition. The Digimon was still half-frozen and unconscious.

"The storm's all but gone now," their kind host informed Sora as she returned to the hut. "There's still a light snowfall and the occasional gust of wind, but it should be safe enough for you to fly your friends to Himizu."

"Thank you," Sora bowed. "How can I ever repay you for your kindness?"

"Just get your friend to Himizu safely and help him recover," Frigimon bowed in return. "You owe us nothing, young one. We of the Frigimon Village are grateful for your efforts against Kushyamon and are happy to be of help to you."

Sora nodded and together she, Biyomon and Frigimon managed to drag Guardromon outside. Then they returned for Kazu and made sure he was wrapped as snugly as possible in the blankets. Biyomon digivolved into Birdramon after that and waited patiently as Kazu was secured to her right foot with Sora. Then she picked Guardromon up in her other foot and took off after Sora gave the village her final goodbyes and thanks. The Frigimon wished them luck and safe travels in return.

Birdramon didn't like the cold weather – she was a firebird after all – but she sucked it up and flew as fast as she could towards Himizu City. She knew that if the cold air felt miserable to her, then it was even more so for the two humans in her care. After all, Sora only had so much cover against the cold even in her winter coat and extra change of clothes from their previous trip to Himizu.

Finally after an hour of flying Birdramon saw the outline of the winter city at long last.

"We're almost there Sora!" she cawed. "Just hold on a bit longer!"

"R-r-right!" came Sora's weak reply from below her.

"Nearly there," Birdramon muttered as she pushed herself to fly a little faster.

The kilometers flew beneath her and the silhouette of Himizu City grew larger and larger until she was soaring over the outer city limits towards the palace where she'd taken JP all that time ago when the boy had been severely injured by Iramon. And like last time, there was a large gathering of guards, Otokomon, and even Lord Genbumon waiting there for them.

Birdramon carefully set Guardromon down before landing. The Otokomon were on them fast. A small group of four collected the refrozen Guardromon from where Birdramon had set him down while a group of six came to take care of Sora and Kazu. The moment the humans were off her foot, Birdramon dedigivolved back into Biyomon while the digital men carried the two humans away.

"Fear not, Biyomon," Lord Genbumon told her. "Your companions will be taken care of. For now, you should rest. There will be plenty of time to talk later once you all are well rested and have recovered from your plight."

"Thank you, my Lord," Biyomon bowed unsteadily, only now realizing how far she'd pushed herself in order to get the others to the city.

An Otokomon came up to her and led her into the castle and down to the infirmary where JP had been treated the last time she'd been there. Now Sora and Kazu occupied beds in the room and Guardromon was placed before the fire nearest Kazu's bedside. Biyomon gratefully took a bed for herself next to Sora's and found herself falling asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Sekizou Palace

Izzi awoke in his bedchamber early that morning, shrugging off sleep as he climbed out of bed and took care of the usual morning business. After waking Tentomon, the pair headed back for the dining room where they'd spent most of yesterday afternoon. His laptop computer was still there waiting for him. He turned it back on and reviewed the digivice signals to see if anyone had moved or was moving from where he'd seen them last. The digivice signal that had been in the mountains was closer to the base, but the signal was weak, meaning that whoever it was, was more than likely inside the mountain's tunnels. Every other digivice signal appeared to be in the same spot as it had before he'd gone to bed, although the one up north was moving rather quickly towards Himizu City. He prayed that whoever it was, would make it there safely.

"At it again I see."

Izzi looked up and saw an annoyed Digitamamon and a sleepy looking JP. The Warrior of Thunder looked a lot better than he had the night before though.

"Anything new?" JP yawned.

"Not really," Izzi shook his head. "Whoever it is up in the mountains is probably somewhere in the tunnels now. Their digivice signal has faded a bit and isn't coming in as strong as it had been last night. Also, it appears that someone is making their way to Himizu City and fast."

"I hope they're not in any trouble," JP frowned, looking more awake.

"I'm sure they are fine," Digitamamon sighed. "We can get in contact with Himizu City when they've arrived and check in on your friend then."

Hearing that eased Izzi's worry significantly. So they had means of contact between the four palaces…

"Thank you. I'd appreciate it," he said sincerely, bowing to the egg Digimon.

"As for your friend in the mountains, they probably took shelter in the mountains from the rain we got last night," Digitamamon added. "If you wish, I've gotten permission for you to go out with the scouting party that'll be leaving in an hour. I'm sure they'd be more than happy to lend you their assistance in finding your friend while on their way to try persuading more Digimon to come seek shelter in the palace."

"Again, thank you," Izzi bowed his head again. "You've been very helpful."

"Just keep yourselves safe and out of danger," Digitamamon warned. "You human children are this world's last hope. I'm sure that if you lot go with the scouting party, you'll be able to persuade the Digimon to come out of the mountains."

"We'll do our best," JP smiled.

After that, Izzi, Tentomon and JP settled down for a nice breakfast and got ready to go into the mountains. When they were all geared up, Izzi checked his laptop one more time and found out that the digivice signal in the north had reached Himizu City. When he informed the others of this, Digitamamon led them to a large round room where there was what looked like a crystal ball sitting on a pedestal and Lord Byakkomon was waiting for them beside it.

"This is the viewing orb," Byakkomon announced. "It's one of the many ways that we, the Four Lords of the land can communicate with each other. Come closer and I'll call Lord Genbumon and see what has happened with your friend."

The Earth Lord waved a hand over the orb and it began to glow.

"My friend Lord Genbumon! Answer this call," Byakkomon stated in a strong authoritative voice.

Then an image of the Ice Lord appeared above the orb like a hologram. Izzi almost expected it to say, "Help me Obi-Wan Kenobi! You're my only hope!"

"Lord Byakkomon," the image spoke. "Insolent as ever, boy."

The younger looking Digimon Lord actually gave his older looking counter part a cheeky smile.

"And you are just as cranky as ever," Byakkomon retorted.

"What do you want?" Genbumon sighed. "I know that you didn't call just to pester an old man."

"We've received word that a DigiDestined has made it to your city," Byakkomon answered, serious now. "DigiDestined Izzi and Warrior JP are currently here with me now."

The Digimon Lord gestured for Izzi and JP to join him in front of the glowing orb and hologram-like image.

"It is good to see you two well," Genbumon's image smiled.

"Thank you sir," JP bowed.

"Lord Genbumon," Izzi cut in after bowing to the image of the Digimon Lord of the North. "My laptop has picked up on a digivice signal that has just recently reached your city. Are they alright?"

"In a matter of speaking," Genbumon sighed. "Miss Sora and Master Kazu only arrived a quarter of an hour ago, but the lad was burning with fever and the young lady was shaking from the cold. Both of them and their companion Digimon are currently down in the palace infirmary where the Otokomon are taking care of them."

Izzi and JP traded worried looks.

"Try not to worry," the old lord told them. "They are in the best care possible. I'll call upon you in Sekizou when they have recovered and you can talk to them yourself."

"Thank you, Lord Genbumon," Izzi and JP nodded, bowing in gratitude.

"Thank you old friend," Byakkomon nodded. "That was all we needed."

"Take care, young wipper snapper," Genbumon nodded back, and then the image and the glow in the orb was gone.

Satisfied with what they had learned, Izzi and JP then rejoined Digitamamon outside the room and marched off to join the scout part that was now ready to depart into the mountains.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: West Rebel Army Encampment – Gallantmon's Troops

Mimi smiled as she watched Tommy from her healing station. Yesterday had been rough dealing with all of those wounded Digimon, but here they were again the next morning at it again. Thankfully only a small handful of Digimon were still in need of treatment and most of their injuries were superficial.

Last night the boy had finally gotten the hang of using the healing crystals and was able to heal the less severely injured troops without Sorcermon's supervision. She'd known that he'd be able to do it eventually. The boy had a big heart and reminded her of Cody a little, only the boy was more open and expressive than the youngest Odaiba DigiDestined member.

They'd spent the night together in the small tent that had been set up for them. Palmon had gone there to recover while they had their crash course in learning how to use the healing crystals.

This morning after waking up, the three had joined Sorcermon for a quick breakfast before getting back to work to heal the remaining patients awaiting treatment. Palmon was now currently sitting behind Mimi next to the buckets of healing crystals, making sure that the used ones were set aside to recharge, and that Mimi and Tommy got fresh ones as soon as they needed them. She also occasionally left the tent to get fresh drinking water for her friends and the Digimon that they were treating.

"You two are doing quite well," Sorcermon stated as he rejoined them and after checked on their work. "These mon should be well enough to travel by tomorrow morning. Without your help it could have been a few days before everyone would be well enough for another confrontation."

"Another confrontation?" Mimi repeated, worry welling up inside her. "Are we expecting an attack?"

"This is war, Miss," Sorcermon sighed. "We are _always_ expecting an attack. The sooner we can break camp and be mobile, the sooner we can make for more secure ground. We're going to be heading south to meet up with reinforcements of fresh troops from Sekizou and Netsusa before heading east. One of Embermon's scouts finally reached us before daybreak with news that his troops are being overwhelmed in the East. We're going there to help pull them back. The East is falling and any and all survivors will be headed west, including our enemy. More troops from Sekizou and some troops from Himizu will take over our position here in the west while we do that. They're expected to be in the area by nightfall. You two are more than welcome to stay behind with them once they arrive."

"No," Tommy shook his head. "I'm going with you out east."

"And so will I," Mimi declared. "As much as I hate fighting, I feel that that's where I – WE – need to be. Our friends are out in this world somewhere and for all we know, some of them are right in the middle of that war zone."

"We can help," Tommy added. "I might not look like much, but I'm the Warrior DigiDestined of Ice."

"And I'm not a shabby fighter either," Palmon piped up from where she'd been sitting quietly behind Mimi while she worked.

"And I can help heal the injured now," Mimi added.

Sorcermon studied the three of them for a long moment before sighing and nodding his head.

"As you wish," he said. "Just know that Master Gallantmon might try to persuade you to stay behind with the relieving troops."

"We won't change our minds," Tommy and Mimi stated in unison.

Sorcermon's eyes crinkled in the way that told them he was smiling before he nodded and returned to checking over the remaining injured that were waiting to be treated.

Mimi looked over at Tommy. He nodded at her before returning to the Digimon currently at his station and was waiting for him to finish the healing treatment.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Netsusa Palace Infirmary

When Henry woke again he felt a lot better than he had the last time he'd been awake. It was early morning if the length of the shadows was anything to go by. Terriermon was asleep still, curled up in a ball beside Henry on the bed. Yolei was sleeping in a chair next to her own partner's bed, head resting on her arms beside the hawk Digimon's head.

He tried to sit up, but found that he still lacked the energy. With a quiet huff he allowed himself to relax back on the bed, hoping he hadn't woken his partner up with the move. He hadn't, somehow, but someone else was awake now.

"I wouldn't try to move again if I were you. It would be unwise, I think."

Henry turned his head and noticed that Hawkmon was starting at him from his position next to Yolei.

"I tried to get up, myself," the bird Digimon sighed. "It would appear that although these crystals heal us quickly, they leave us with little to no energy left. How JP was able to get out of bed in his condition in such a short amount of time back in Himizu, I have no idea."

"Must have something to do with him being the Warrior of Lightening and Thunder and his ability to see and sense energy flows," Henry mused. "Lucky him."

"Indeed," Hawkmon hooted morosely. "I haven't felt this drained since the time I saved Yolei from a Dokugumon. Too bad Gatomon isn't around to fetch us some cat nip."

"Cat nip?" Henry repeated incredulously, raising an eyebrow.

"Strange, I know, but it works," Hawkmon chuckled. "I was back on my feet after a few hours of rest."

"Hmm," Henry hummed, staring at the ceiling.

He wondered where the others were and if they were all alright. He worried about Suzie the most though. He could only hope that Yolei was right about Suzie winding up with someone else for company and had kept her word about asking Darkmon to look into everyone else's whereabouts. This world was much more dangerous than their own Digital World. This enemy of theirs was ruthless and was wiping out Digimon and humans alike. If Mai's story was true, the human world parallel to this one was already lost. Had they really stood a chance against such senseless violence? Did they even still stand a chance now when they were all separated?

"Momentai, Henry."

Henry blinked, pulling out of his thoughts and looked down at his partner.

"You were thinking bad depressing thoughts, weren't you?" Terriermon yawned. "Just relax. It's no use worrying about it right now when we can't do anything about it just yet. Besides, everything will be fine in the end."

"And what make you so sure about that?" Henry frowned.

"Because we're the good guys," Terriermon grinned. "We always win. Sure, they kicked our butts this last time, but we'll come out on top in the end."

"He's right you know," Yolei yawned as she sat back up in her chair and stretched. "We can't afford to doubt ourselves or our friends. If we do, then we've already lost. Thinking negative will get us nowhere and give the enemy an edge over us we can't afford for them to have. Things may not look good now, Henry, but I still believe that if we can pull together like we all have done before, there is no way we can lose, even if it means we may die in the end. We have to remind ourselves that this is no longer about just us, or the residents of this world. If we fail here then Kushyamon and his goon squad will move on to our home worlds and all of the others out there in the universe. So many have already died or been taken over by the enemy and they aren't going to come back like Takuya or Mai did. We have to keep moving forward no matter what the setbacks are because in the end it all comes down to us."

"Yolei," Hawkmon gaped in shocked awe and with a sense of pride.

"I don't mean to sound preachy," Yolei smiled at Henry, "but if there's one thing I've learned from my adventures with Hawkmon and my friends, it's that there is no use worrying about something that we're not currently dealing with at the moment. We can only deal with what's right in front of us, and at the moment that's making sure that we're all healed and ready to find our friends or for the next fight. I'm not trying to say to not worry about your sister, because I doubt you'll be able to stop, but try to keep calm and be ready for when the time comes that we can do something about finding her."

"…Thanks, Yolei," Henry smiled.

"No problemo!" The girl grinned. "You just worry about getting better. If it helps, I can go try to find Darkmon and see if she's made any progress in locating any of the others."

"I would appreciate that," Henry sighed. "Thanks again, Yolei."

"Oh sure," Terriermon pouted. "You listen to her, but not me! That's what I've been saying this whole time!"

Henry and Hawkmon chuckled at the disgruntled Digimon and Yolei smiled as she walked out of the healing ward on her way to try finding Darkmon.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Sekizou Mountain Tunnels

Michael sighed as he stood up and stretched. He wasn't sure what time it was now thanks to how far they'd traveled into the tunnels last night, but the strange torches that seemed to be installed in all of the tunnels in this world were burning brightly like they did during daylight hours. Next to him Betamon, Suzie and Lopmon were still sleeping. He debated for a couple minutes whether he should wake them or not when a sound that came from further down the tunnel caught his attention and made the decision for him.

"Hey, Betamon," he hissed. "Wake up."

The tadpole Digimon was awake instantly upon hearing his partner's serious tone.

"What is it?"

"Not sure," Michael admitted. "I thought I heard something."

"You want me to check it out?" Betamon asked.

"No," Michael shook his head. "I will. Just stay here with Suzie and keep her safe."

"Don't go too far and be careful," Betamon murmured as Michael got up and carefully made his way down the tunnel.

Michael did his best to be quiet, taking careful and measured steps and peeking around bends as he tried to find the source of the sound. Just when he was reaching the point where he felt that he was getting too far away from his partner and their companions, he peeked around one last turn in the tunnels and spotted a crowd of Digimon huddled together. At first he suspected them of being possible spies and agents for the enemy, but then he spotted a small group of Tsunomon playing with each other just beyond them.

"Hello?" he called out cautiously as he walked over to join the group of Digimon. As he came out from behind the bend he realized that "group" had been an inaccurate description for their numbers. There had to be at least five hundred of them and possibly more as even more Digimon disappeared around the next bend. The group he'd originally spotted had been a posted guard of some sort.

"Who goes there?" a Mushroomon demanded, coming forth with a few other plant-Digimon to confront him. Michael immediately raised his hands up in surrender.

"Stand down! That's one of the human children!" gasped a Floramon.

The Digimon backed off immediately.

"Who are you and why are you in the tunnels?" Michael asked.

"We're from Sekizou City," the Floramon informed him. "The entire world is under attack by the Zaigou."

"The East has already fallen, so they're sure to come here next!" cried a frightened Palmon.

"We've come to seek shelter in these tunnels," a Gotsumon added. Those rock-Digimon certainly seemed to be everywhere.

"And how did you get here?" the Mushroomon that had confronted him demanded to know.

"My friends and I were seeking shelter from the rain last night so we came inside these tunnels and camped out just a little further down from here," Michael explained.

"There are more of you human children here?" another Mushroomon asked.

"Just myself, Suzie, and our partner Digimon," Michael sighed. "We don't know where the others are. We were scattered after fighting the Zaigou in Shinrin."

"It must have been Jervmon or Giermon," the first Mushroomon stated. "Only those two have the ability to send you this far."

"You're lucky if you ended up here," the Floramon spoke up. "I heard that the entire east coast is nothing but ruins!"

Michael frowned, worried about the others. After talking with the Digimon group for a few more minutes, he headed back down the tunnels to collect Betamon and Suzie and Lopmon, who were awake by the time he returned. They stayed with the fleeing inhabitants of Sekizou learning about what news there was to be had about what had happened in the east. Michael listened to what they had to say while Suzie and Lopmon played with a bunch of the baby and In-Training Digimon, but nothing that he'd heard sounded good. He prayed that all of the other DigiDestined had been sent far away from the ravaged eastern lands. When they began to tell him of the situation back home in Sekizou, he wondered why the Digimon had fled to the tunnels of all places. This had been Zaigou territory after all when Aiyokumon had been alive.

Suddenly there was a commotion rippling through the Digimon from the other end of the massive group. Michael decided to check things out with the squad of five Mushroomon – their leader was apparently the head Mon on this end of things. Suzie must have seen him leaving because she ran up and grabbed hold of his hand as she jogged into step beside him. He then picked her up so that they could move faster and keep up with the Mushroomon. He could hear Betamon and Lopmon scrambling behind him in order to keep up with his long strides.

When they finally reached the other end of the sea of Digimon, Michael let out a sigh of relief.

"Izzi! JP!" he cried, waving at the two boys he saw standing among a group of Knightmon.

"Michael!" Izzi grinned.

"And little Miss Suzie too!" JP laughed.

"Hello!" Suzie beamed, waving happily from where she was settled on Michael's hip.

"So it was your digivice signal I've been reading here in the mountains," Izzi mused as Michael finally came to a stop in front of them.

"I guess," Michael smiled, relieved to have found two more of their group. "What are you two doing here?"

"We've been staying in Sekizou City," JP sighed.

"While JP was recovering from this fight with Jervmon and Netamashiimon, I was busy scanning for digivice signals. Your digivice was the closest one. Everyone else's are all over the place."

"So you know where the others are?" Michael asked.

"Sort of," Izzi sighed. "I know where everyone with our model and JP's model of digivice are, but I don't know who belongs to what signals. As for everyone with Suzie's digivice model or those from our group with a D3, I don't know."

"We do know, however, that Sora and Kazu are in Himizu, recovering from their own trials," JP added. "As for what we're doing here, we came looking for whoever belonged to the digivice signal up here in the mountains and to see if we couldn't help persuade the Digimon taking shelter in these tunnels to come back to the city and take shelter in the palace with the rest of the city's inhabitants."

"I don't think it'll take much convincing," Michael smiled as he spotted the group of child-Digimon that had been playing with Suzie earlier.

And it hadn't. Izzi was able to convince the Digimon by stating the facts about the strengths of Sekizou Palace's defenses and informed them that that was where they, the DigiDestined, were going to be staying as they came up with a new plan of action against the Zaigou, Kushyamon and their evil armies.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Eastern War Zone

Jeri woke up sometime in the late morning or early afternoon in the tent she'd been allowed to stay in. Her dirt and grass stained clothes were rumpled badly from the restless sleep she's had that night. It took her a moment to reorient herself, recalling what had happened on the battlefield she and Leomon had found themselves on. Recalling the horrible events of yesterday, she looked over at the cot beside hers and spotted the still slumbering form of her partner who'd been reduced to his In-Training form, Frimon, who was a golden yellow cat's head and tail with golden eyes and a yellow fin-mane. It was kind of odd to see her cool partner looking so… cute.

"Oh… You're awake I see."

Jeri looked up from her partner and spotted Embermon standing at the entrance of the tent.

"How are you feeling?" the Royal Fighter of Netsusa asked.

"…Better than I had been," Jeri said quietly.

Her body still ached in many places, but she wasn't as sore as she had been by the time Embermon had helped fight their way back behind the battle field lines.

"The enemy has pulled back for now, but we're anticipating that they'll start up again soon," Embermon informed her. "We're cut off from escape, so I'm afraid that you're stuck here until the reinforcements from Gallantmon arrive."

"…And how long will that take?" she asked.

"At least a couple of days," the Ultimate level Digimon admitted. "But don't worry. We can hold out for that long and more. A week if we have to. These hills have provided adequate cover and given us the high ground. They'll have to work to get to us. The enemy may have pushed us back, but they've set us up with good defensive ground. If they were smart they would have flanked us and cut us off from the hills entirely, wearing us down until the last mon. Thankfully none of the Zaigou appear to be in command of these idiots. Thank the Sovereign for small mercies."

"…I see," Jeri mumbled, nodding.

Embermon nodded back awkwardly, looking back out of the tent.

"Umm… the cook is just finishing up making lunch. If you go now, you can be at the front of the line and get something to eat for yourself and your partner," Embermon coughed. "I'll be… uh… checking on my troops… What's left of them."

That last part was said under his breath as he left the tent, leaving Jeri to her thoughts.

After a few moments in silent contemplation she decided that getting some food couldn't hurt. She left her tent and wandered around the camp looking for the meal tent. This was how she stumbled upon the infirmary tents. So many Digimon lay wounded on cots and various other makeshift beds while a few Rookie Digimon rushed around carrying healing crystals to those healing the injured. Jeri was about to leave and try her luck at finding the food tent again when twin voices cried out to her.

"Jeri!"

Startled, Jeri jumped before looking down at two tiny little In-Training level Digimon that looked like green and brown sock puppets.

"Who…?" she trailed off wondering how they knew her name. She pulled out her D-Power and identified the green one as Gummymon and the brown one as Kokomon.

"It's us! Terriermon and Lopmon!" Gummymon chirped, bouncing.

"Willace's Digimon," Kokomon elaborated for her.

"Oh!" Jeri gasped. "Willace is here?"

"This way!" Gummymon bounced, leading her further into the tent.

The two In-Training Digimon led her to a bed set apart from the others where the blond American lay unconscious with a bandaged leg.

"…Is he alright?" Jeri asked.

"He will be," Kokomon spoke up. "It's just his leg. A Tankmon landed on it and fractured some of the bones in his leg and foot."

"It also cut his leg up a bit," Gummymon sighed, "but a Shamanmon has already sealed the cut with some healing crystals. There's not much they can do about the bone fractures though so the leg's been set with a splint and wrapped up tightly."

"There were Digimon more severely injured so they've only done a quick fix. I'm sure they'll heal his leg properly when they've got the time," Kokomon added serenely.

"Hey, where's Leomon?" Gummymon asked.

"Oh! He's back at my tent," Jeri gasped, remembering her partner. She hoped that he hadn't woken up yet. She didn't want to worry him needlessly.

"Why don't you go get him?" Gummymon asked.

"Yeah! Then you can hang out here with us while we wait for Willace to wake up!" Kokomon squealed.

"Alright," Jeri smiled a little, getting up and heading back to her tent.

Thankfully Frimon was still asleep when she got back. She carefully picked him up and carried him with her back to the Infirmary tents. He woke up when he heard Willace's twin Digimon squeal happily in greeting. It was kind of funny to see her partner act so childishly as he played around with the other In-Training Digimon.

While they were playing, Jeri finally left to get food for them all. She ended up waiting a bit in the line for food, but a kind Rosemon helped her carry all the food she'd gotten back to the infirmary where Willace was finally awake, having been woken up by the rambunctious little Digimon.

"How are you feeling?" Jeri asked after she handed out the food.

"Fine apart from the occasional ache in my leg," Willace smiled at her, only to huff in irritation as his twin partners bounced up and down on his bed in delight after eating some of the food. Apparently they really liked it. "Will you two settle down?!"

Jeri giggled, but the happy little mood was ruined when a loud explosion sounded in the distance. It looked like the war was back on.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Seidou Temple

Matt let out a tired sigh as he wiped the sweat off his brow while he worked the old and over worked oven in the Temple's kitchen helping Babamon prepare a late lunch. It had been a long morning, and the afternoon didn't seem to be moving any faster. Ever since early that morning a steady stream of Digimon had come to the temple seeking shelter. Matt, Gabumon, Ai, Mako and Impmon had been pitching in wherever and whenever they could, but because he was older, Matt got a lot of the harder jobs. Ai and Mako were mostly charged with keeping an eye on and entertaining the younger Digimon.

A lot of the refugees that had come that morning had been injured, many of them were from Shinrin and lucky enough to survive the evacuation tunnels' collapse. The refugees brought with them disturbing news of what had happened along the eastern coast. The entire eastern side of the continent was nothing but rubble now aside from small pockets of resistance. Shinrin City was apparently still standing, but if what he was hearing was true, Matt knew that the city wouldn't last much longer before it fell into enemy hands. He hoped that Tai, Takuya, Mai and Ryo were all right. They'd still been in the city when everyone else had been fighting Netamashiimon and Jervmon in the evacuation tunnels.

"How's the bread coming along, boy?"

Matt was pulled out of his thoughts as he subtly checked the bread he was supposed to be keeping an eye on.

"It still needs another minute or two," he informed her.

"Alright. When they're done, place a roll on each plate and then set it aside for the Lalamon to serve," Babamon told him.

"Babamon!" Ai's voice echoed in the room before the little girl herself stood in the doorway. "Jijimon says that there's a HUGE group of refugees headed our way! He says that he can smell them all from here."

"Better have that Gabumon draw some more fresh baths again," Babamon sighed. "Sounds like they had to escape through the sewers like the ones we found this morning."

Ai nodded and was gone once more.

Matt took the bread out of the oven and began to set the fresh rolls on the plates of food that Babamon had just finished serving up when Mako and Impmon ran into the room.

"Babamon!"

"I know, already," the old Digimon woman huffed. "Your sister already informed me of the coming group of refugees. Why don't you two make yourselves useful and help Gabumon prepare the bathes."

"No! It's not that!" Mako shook his head vigorously; fear and panic clear in his voice.

"They're bein' attacked," Impmon cut in. "Jijimon said they were Scavengers."

Babamon stopped what she was doing immediately.

"Matt!" she barked. "Go get your Digimon partner and join Jijimon and I out front. Bring any able body Digimon you come across with you."

That last part was shouted over her shoulder as the old Digimon rushed out of the kitchen with surprising speed. Matt set the pan of bread down and rushed to go do as she'd said. He didn't know what these scavengers were or what their presence meant, but by the serious tone in Babamon's voice and the speed at which she'd hurried out of the kitchen, they were trouble.

"Gabumon!" he yelled as he reached the other side of the temple where the baths were.

"Matt?" his partner Digimon looked up in alarm from where he was tending to an injured pair of Biyomon.

"We're under attack," Matt announced grimly to all of the Digimon in the vicinity. "I need all able body Digimon to come with me to help fight and help another group of refugees make it to the temple."

A Knightmon, two Lillymon, a Rosemon, an Ogremon, and a trio of Renamon quickly made their way over to him. They looked pretty roughed up and still recovering from their journey to the temple, but they certainly looked battle ready.

"Alright, lets go," Matt nodded as he headed towards the front of the temple with Gabumon at his side and a growing group of volunteer fighter Digimon behind them.

When they all exited the temple the scene they were met with was sheer chaos. There were five of these large black lizard beasts with glowing red eyes and sharp needle pointed fangs that shrieked and roared as they attacked any Digimon in reach. Jijimon, Babamon and Impmon – who'd digivolved into Boogeymon again – were covering the retreat of injured refugees fighting alongside two Monzaemon, a Raremon, a Kyubimon and… was that Digmon?!

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Somewhere in the Mid-Northeast

"Keep moving!" Koichi yelled over the screams of the frightened Digimon refugees as they ran from the Scavengers' attacks. Frankly Koichi was surprised that the nightmarish Digimon hadn't caught up and attacked them before they'd exited the tunnels. Cody was running beside him, helping the few Numemon who hadn't combined to digivolve into Raremon and the two Monzaemon. Digmon was doing his best to ward off the Scavengers with his drills, but even as a Digimon that leveled somewhere between Champion and Ultimate in power, he wasn't able to do much.

The two older Digimon whom he'd never seen before were packing quite a punch though. He didn't know where they'd come from, but they were obviously either Ultimate or Mega levels, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to take on a Scavenger one-on-one like they were, but even so that still left three Scavengers for everyone else to fight.

Left and right, helpless Digimon were being deleted around him and Cody as they tried to make it out of the fight zone under the cover Digmon provided them.

"Can't you Spirit Evolve or something?!" Cody asked.

"I could," Koichi said grimly, "but I'd only make these things stronger. Now that they've come out into the open where I can see them, I can tell these aren't natural Digimon. They are made out of darkness."

Cody let out a frustrated huff that he couldn't agree with more.

Suddenly the ground in front of them exploded and sent the two humans flying with the three Numemon they'd been helping along. One of the Numemon had been too close to the blast and broke down into data shards when he hit the ground.

"Oh no!" Cody gasped as a Scavenger bore down on the rest of them.

"Death Crash!"

Koichi grabbed Cody and the two remaining Numemon, pulling them down to the ground and shielding them as best as he could as the Scavenger that was attacking them flew over their heads and crashed, making a deep trench in the ground.

"Yous guys alright?"

Koichi looked up and grinned at the sight of Boogeymon.

"We're ok," Cody answered shakily as he sat back up.

"Cody! Koichi!"

Koichi and Cody looked up and spotted Matt coming towards them on Garurumon's back, flanked by a trio of Renamon who digivolved together into a Kyubimon.

"Lets get you guys out of here," Matt said grimly as he pulled Cody up in front of him on Garurumon's back.

Koichi nodded back at the older teen as he handed Cody one of the Numemon before gathering up the other into his arms and climbed up onto the Kyubimon's back.

The two champion level Digimon picked up a few other straggling refugees that weren't locked in battle and hadn't been deleted yet before making their way to what Koichi could now see was a Temple. So that's where they'd been heading.

Once they were at the Temple, Koichi saw that Ai and Mako were there with a lot of other Digimon watching the fight in the distance. Mako had their digivice in one hand while he held onto his sister's hand with the other.

"Looks like Jijimon and Babamon managed to get rid of their two Scavengers," Matt noted, nodding his head to the elderly looking Digimon.

"The two Lillymon and the Rosemon just finished off a third," Garurumon informed them.

Koichi looked over the battlefield and saw that Digmon and Boogeymon were working with a Monzaemon and Raremon to bring down the fourth, while Jijimon and Babamon teamed up to deal with the fifth. Then the two remaining Scavenges let out enraged roars and broke free of their individual fights rushing towards each other.

"STOP THEM!" Koichi cried out, eyes wide in fear as he realized what the enemy was about to do.

"What is it?" Cody asked, jumping at Koichi's sudden exclamation.

"Too late," Koichi said grimly, watching as the two Scavengers combined to become one large Scavenger. Jijimon and Babamon rallied the remaining fighters to face the powerful beast, but the Digimon were swatted aside as if they were flies.

"It might as well be a mega Digimon," Koichi sighed.

"Is there really nothing you can do?" Cody asked.

Koichi pursed his lips together as he watched the two Lillymon digivolve into Rosemon, giving their side a total of three Megas – five if Jijimon and Babamon were Mega level like Koichi suspected they were. The Kyubimon, Raremon and two Monzaemon were down, Digmon was wearing out fast and Boogeymon… was still holding his own! But how?

Koichi focused on the Champion level Digimon and his power flow. His eyes snapped open in realization. Of course!

"Mako, hold your digivice out towards Boogeymon!" he ordered.

Mako jumped, startled, but did as he was asked. Koichi placed his hand over Mako's and prayed that what he had in mind worked. If not, they were in for a long battle. Koichi could sense the dark energies emanating off of the Scavenger and focused that energy on himself, allowing it to pass through him and into Mako's digivice.

Boogeymon suddenly stopped all his movements, registering the new flow of energy coursing through him. The Digimon then shot one final attack at the Scavenger to ward it off before he became enshrouded in the light of DigiVolution. When the light faded a towering Digimon stood as tall as the Mega Scavenger. It had a humanoid shape, wearing black leather pants, belts and spiked shoes. Its upper torso was practically bare with grey skin and a line of red orbs embedded up the left side of its chest. There was only one shoulder armor plate on its right shoulder even though there were straps on both shoulders and wrapped around the neck. Its arms were nearly as long as it was tall, hands ending in three fingered hands that ended in long sharp golden metal claws. The arms were wrapped in brown leather from halfway up the forearms and down, even over the hands and beneath the claws. The Digimon also had golden knee plates and a horned facemask that had a thick mane of silver grey hair flowing out from behind it. It also had a pair of red cracked wings and three red horned spikes jutting out of it's long forearms just below it's elbows.

"What is that?" Cody gasped.

"…NeoDevimon," Mako answered as his digivice displayed the new Ultimate level's name and information.

"A Fallen Angel Digimon," Ai whispered, shuddering.

"Boogeymon was a Demon Man Digimon," Koichi elaborated. "He was able to last this long because he's a Digimon that's in it's element when in the shadows, and that Scavenger is just radiating Dark energy."

"What did you do?" Matt asked, frowning.

"I channeled the dark energy coming off of the Scavenger through myself to purify the energy before transferring it to Mako's digivice so that Boogeymon could digivolve," Koichi sighed, trembling a little. "I think I might have overdone it though. It takes a lot of energy to force a DigiVolution, especially an Ultimate evolution."

"Whoa! Easy there!" Cody gasped as Koichi's legs gave out and the smaller boy and Matt had to catch him.

"STUN CLAW!"

They all looked back up in time to see NeoDevimon take a swipe at the Scavenger and actually knock it into the ground. The shadow Digimon wailed and screamed as it tried to get back onto its feet, but NeoDevimon was already executing it's next attack.

"GUILTY CLAW!"

NeoDevimon's claw lashed out and stabbed into the side of the Scavenger, shattering it to pieces of data and smoke.

"Whoa!" Mako, Ai and Cody gasped.

"It's over," Koichi sighed with relief.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Abandoned Town

Rika groaned as she finally got out of that little storage space beneath the floor underneath a desk in the Sheriff's office. She stretched while watching TK climb out of the hole as well. They'd been stuck in there over night when the Scavengers had come in to investigate the building. It had been a nerve-racking couple of hours as the lizard creatures practically tore the place apart looking for whatever it was they were looking for. They clearly hadn't found anything, but the beasts had decided to stay the night, forcing her, TK, Patamon and Renamon to tough it out for the night as well. It had been cramped, and sleeping had been near impossible, but somehow they'd managed it.

Now it was sometime around noon and the Scavengers were long gone.

"Well that was fun," TK sighed sarcastically as he stretched. "They really did a number on this place."

Rika nodded as she looked around at the over turned desks, chairs and strewn papers.

"What now, Rika?" Renamon asked.

"We get out of here," Rika huffed. "No sense in staying."

"Great, but where do we go?" TK asked.

"Not South I hope," Patamon shook his head, gesturing to the ruined map on the floor.

"Don't be stupid," Rika snorted. "According to the map, that's where the bad guys are."

"Then may I suggest we head either North or West?" Renamon stated. "North will take us to Himizu, and West will take us towards Sekizou."

"Sounds good to me," TK nodded.

"I'd prefer Netsusa," Rika grumbled. "That's where the rebel army is after all, but I don't want to go too close to into enemy territory.

"Then maybe we should go West and then work our way south," TK suggested as he mapped out a route with his finger. "We can stop in Sekizou and regroup. Maybe get some fresh supplies from Digitamamon before heading south east."

"Sounds like a plan," Renamon nodded.

"Lets do that then, and get going," Rika huffed. "I don't want to stick around here anymore in case the Scavengers come back."

"I'm with you on that," TK nodded as he took a similar map out of his pack that Digitamamon had given them all that time ago in Sekizou. "Let me just mark off where we are now on my map copy so that we don't get confused with directions later."

"You got a compass to go with that map?" Rika asked.

"Yup," TK grinned. "Everyone got one and a map. Haven't you checked your pack?"

"Not really," Rika shrugged. "It's got spare clothes and food in it. That's all I needed to know."

"Speaking of food, maybe we should eat first," TK suggested as he put his map away in his pack's front pocket.

"After we get out of here," Rika frowned. "Like I said, I don't want to stick around."

"Alright," TK sighed.

Once they'd made sure that the coast was clear, the four of them quickly exited the building and darted around another. They checked around that building before moving to another and then another until they were on the edge of the town looking in the direction they were headed. They waited until they were so far away from the town that they couldn't see it before stopping to eat something. They settled behind a tall rock that shaded them from the afternoon sun before TK and Rika dug into their pack for the food they'd kept in there. Rika was glad that they both had had the sense to restock in Shinrin before anything had happened. There wasn't much when all their food had to be split in four ways, but Rika was hopeful that they'd come across more hospitable surroundings the further west they headed.

After their small lunch they continued traveling for a few kilometers when Renamon suddenly froze, ears twitching.

"What is it Renamon?" Rika asked.

Renamon turned her head back the way they'd come, eyes narrow before they widened fearfully.

"Scavengers! RUN!" she barked.

TK, Rika and Renamon raced forward while Patamon clutched to his perch on TK's shoulder. For a while she couldn't hear anything, but after a few minutes sprinting, Rika could hear the soft heavy thud of their pursuer's footfalls. She didn't dare look over her shoulder though to see how far it was.

"Keep going!" Renamon shouted as she spun around, throwing a "Diamond Storm" attack at the Scavenger.

Rika unclipped her D-Power from her waist and clutched it in her hand, watching it light up. Behind her there was a bright flash of light and Rika knew that Renamon had digivolved into Kyubimon. The next attack she heard also was a great indicator.

"FOX TAIL INFERNO!"

Rika and TK nearly fell forward as the force of the attack shook the ground, but they kept going.

"Patamon! Digivolve and help her out!" TK panted, digivice now in hand.

"Right!" the hamster-bat nodded and flew into the sky. "PATAMON DIGIVOLE TO! …ANGEMON!"

TK and Rika kept running, but were forced to stop when they came to the steep ledge of a ravine. There was nowhere else for them to run. Hearts sinking, Rika and TK turned back around. The angle Digimon had been quick to join up with Kyubimon and help drive the enemy back, but there were three Scavengers and only two of them. The Scavengers also seemed to be unaffected by their attacks, so not only were the two light attributed Digimon out numbered, they were over powered too. One Scavenger managed to get a hold of Kyubimon and lifted her off the ground with it's tail.

"Kyubimon!" Rika cried, dismayed as her partner was slammed into the ground over and over again before being tossed towards Angemon… who'd been flying right in front of TK and Rika to shield them from attack.

The fox hit the angel and sent him flying backwards into their human partners, sending them over the edge of the ravine.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: The Grassy Plains

Ken sighed as he woke up, not really wanting to get up, but knowing that he and the others couldn't stay here in their hold in the ground forever. Yesterday's impromptu shower in the rain had been really nice, helping him clean off all of the dried bog residue from his skin. Everyone had been in better spirits after that and curling up in their hovel wrapped up in the thermal blankets that Digitamamon had provided them with in their packs. Dinner had been on the small side since they didn't know how long they'd need their food to last.

Looking at the sun shine through the entrance to their underground sanctuary and over at the curled up forms of Zoe who lay next to him and Kenta who was still sleeping on her other side, Ken knew that they'd have to get moving soon. It was probably late morning or early afternoon by now.

"We should probably get up now, huh?"

Ken met Zoe's even gaze as the blond gathered her sleeping bag even closer around her.

"Yeah," Ken sighed, nodding.

With a groan Zoe sat up, before turning to shake Kenta awake.

"Kenta, get up," she said, giving him a harder shove when he didn't wake.

"Oww!" the boy moaned. "Rika!"

"Sorry, Kenta," Ken chuckled. "Wrong agitated girl."

"What?" the boy yawned blearily, blinking tiredly at Zoe before realizing his mistake. "Oh… Sorry Zoe."

"It's ok," Zoe yawned as she began to stretch.

A chipper MarineAngemon twittered excitedly after he woke up and began zooming around the place.

"MarineAngemon!" Kenta sighed. "Too early, bud."

"Must he be so loud in the morning?" Wormmon mumbled as he was awoken by the energizer-bunny-mon.

"Sorry," Kenta sighed.

"No worries," Zoe smiled. "We need to get up anyway and plan what we're going to do next."

"I was wondering about that," Ken mused as he pulled his map out of his pack. It was a little water stained in places from his dip in the bog, but still readable. "I was looking at the map last night to try an discern our location."

"And?" Zoe asked when he didn't continue right away.

"I've found that my previous assessment to be false," Ken frowned. "We're not in the South like I'd thought. There are no bogs there, surprisingly. They do have some swamps, but forests surround those areas, not grasslands. What I must have landed in yesterday before finding you two was the edge of the northern wet lands that makes up the border between the mid-west and the northern tundra where Himizu is. We're currently on the fringe of the belt of grassy plains that make up the middle of the main continent in this world."

"Okaaay," Zoe mused. "So where to we head?"

"West would be my best bet," Ken mused. "We don't want to head back east where the enemy currently is attacking or go south where we run the risk of walking right into Kushyamon's lands. The three of us alone wouldn't be able to do much against him or his forces. Our best bet is to head either North to Himizu, or West to Sekizou."

"What about the others?" Kenta asked. "Shouldn't we be looking for them?"

"We can look for them along the way, but I agree with Ken. We can only hope we're not the only ones thinking of heading towards lands that we know are more friendly and likely able to lend us some help and support," Zoe said grimly. "Scattered like this, none of us stand a chance back east."

"Alright," Kenta nodded. "…So do we go north or west?"

"Mmm… West," Zoe stated.

"Why west?" Ken asked. "Himizu could be a lot closer to our current location."

"Maybe, but I don't fancy freezing in the snow trying to find a city with a location we're unsure of. I'd rather spend days wandering plains and forest than freezing in the snow and ice," she wrinkled her nose.

"I see your point," Ken laughed. "West it is then."

"Great," Kenta yawned. "I suppose we should pack up and get started then huh?"

"Yeah," Ken and Zoe nodded, moving to roll up their bedding and repack their supplies.

Kenta sighed as he did the same. When he was finished he tried to call his partner back over, but the little Digimon was hovering by the back wall of their hovel.

"What's up bud?" Kenta asked as he crawled over to the back wall.

The little Digimon twittered excitedly, whirling around his head when he stopped by the wall.

"What is it?" he asked again.

Before he could even try to decipher his Digimon's twittering, the ground beneath him crumbled and down he fell.

"Kenta!"

Ken, Zoe and Wormmon scrambled over to the hole where their companion and his Digimon had been sitting and found themselves looking down into one of this Digital World's many well lit tunnels before they themselves felt the ground give underneath them and sent them tumbling down to join him.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Enemy Prison Cell

Takato huffed in boredom as he sat in the cell he shared with Joe. It was soon becoming apparent that the guard shift to their cell was every six hours. It was sometime after noon, and their most recent guard had come in with a tray of food like the one before him had done six hours ago with their breakfast. And six hours before that, fresh water had been provided six hours after their dinner last night.

Because he couldn't see much outside his cell, he couldn't be sure that they were keeping a guard outside the dungeon's door, but he figured that if there wasn't a guard inside, then there had to be one outside. At least that left him and Joe able to talk openly. Joe had still been a little out of it that morning from the blow he'd received to the head yesterday though, so they didn't do much of that. The older teen had been fiddling with his glasses and manacles a lot though during the last hour after they'd been brought their lunch…

"Ha! Got it!" Joe crowed cheerfully.

"Joe?" Takato frowned, wondering if the teen had finally lost it.

Joe actually smirked as he pulled a hand free of the manacle it'd been trapped in.

"Wha?!" Takato gaped. "How?!"

Joe held up something in his hand and Takato realized that it was a wire side from his glasses. The teen then worked the wire inside the lock on the other manacle and after ten-fifteen minutes had the other manacle open.

"I'm no lock picking expert by any means, but good enough to get out of these," Joe smiled.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" Takato gaped.

"I have a roommate in college that practices magic tricks for his part time job as a children's entertainer," Joe explained as he came over and began to work on Takato's manacles. "He was practicing once with a new pair of handcuffs and ended up with his hands cuffed behind his back unable to get out. Lets just say he gave me a quick lesson in lock picking after we couldn't find the keys."

Takato chuckled, happy that Joe was able to get his first hand free after a few minutes.

"This is so much easier when one has two hands to work with," Joe muttered, holding the second manacle in place with one hand and working the lock with the wire from his glasses with the second.

Now that Takato could see Joe better he noticed the missing wire. It was a little strange to see Joe with only two-thirds of his glasses. The end missing its side was tipping up a little because it didn't have the support that hooked around the ear to keep the glasses balanced and counteract the weight of the other side.

Once they were both free Joe began to work on the door, which took longer.

"So we're getting out now?" Takato asked as they stepped out of the cell.

"No," Joe sighed. "Even though we've got roughly four hours before the next guard comes by with dinner, it's the middle of the day and the place is probably busy and crawling with enemy Digimon. No, we're going to be checking out our surroundings, see if our Digimon are somewhere in these cells. Then it's back in the manacles and playing good prisoner again until an opportunity presents itself."

Takato didn't like the idea of getting back in their cell and chained up again, but the teen had a point, so he didn't say anything.

The two looked in all the cells and found that theirs was the only occupied cell in this part of the dungeon. There was a door at either end of their hall though; one where the guards always came and went from, and one that they didn't. The two of them decided to see if they could get through the second door. Thankfully it wasn't locked, and they were able to see another hall of cells. It was darker in this hall though so they kept the door open as they searched the cells for occupants. It wasn't until they reached the last cell that they found one with an occupant. Two occupants in fact.

"Guilmon!" Takato breathed, relieved.

"Gomamon!" Joe sighed in relief.

"Joe!"

"Takato!"

"How are you doing boy?" Takato asked.

"Not good Takato," Guilmon grumbled miserably. "I'm so hungry. Need food."

"Those jerks that threw us in here haven't given us anything to eat since they threw us in here," Gomamon groused. "We're really weak you guys."

"I know, Gomamon," Joe sighed, resting a hand on his partner's head through the bars.

"How did you guys escape?" Gomamon frowned.

Joe showed Gomamon the piece of his glasses that he'd used to pick the locks.

"I never knew that you had that in you Joe," Gomamon gasped.

"Oh you'd be surprised what I can do these days," Joe laughed good-naturedly. "Don't worry you two everything's going to be ok. We're not breaking out just yet, but when we do, be ready."

"We won't be much help if we can't fight Joe," Gomamon sighed.

"I can't even make a fire ball," Guilmon whimpered.

"Don't worry boy," Takato sighed. "We'll be back later with some food that they bring us for dinner."

"Oh sure, they feed the humans, but not fellow Digimon!" Gomamon growled.

"Gomamon," Joe laughed softly. "They probably know that if they fed you, you two would be able to fight back and come rescue us. This is their way of keeping you weak."

"Well it's working," Gomamon groaned, flopping onto his belly. "Well go on, you two'd better get back to your cell before they discover you missing."

Joe nodded. "We'll be back later tonight."

"Count on it," Takato added as a promise to poor Guilmon.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Unknown Forest

Kari watched Koji's back as the boy led the way through the forest. Neither of them had any real idea where they were. At best guess, Koji assumed that it was more than likely that they were back in the forests in the west. The map wasn't much help to them and the compass was even less so. The needle kept spinning so they couldn't be sure which way to go. They were currently navigating by the position that they thought the sun was in, but through the thick canopy of leaves and branches of the thick forest's vegetation, that was really hard to figure out. So basically they picked a direction and tried to walk in as straight a path as possible.

Gatomon was curled up on top of Kari's pack, sleeping as they navigated around tall trees with thick trunks, docked and climbed over fallen limbs, and occasionally descended and scaled short mounds and walls of rock. They'd been at it all morning and well into the afternoon by now. Evening was drawing near and the sun's light was becoming dimmer as it began to slant more over the horizon, possibly going behind the wall of mountains the map told her made up the entire west coast of this Digital World's main continent of land. She didn't know if there were other continents out there or if there were even small islands like File Island back in her home world's parallel Digital World. The map didn't show any at any rate.

"We'd better stop here for the day," Koji finally said as they entered one of the few small clearings they'd come upon during their trek.

"Sounds good to me," Kari smiled.

Koji only nodded before taking off his back and setting it against a tree.

"I'll go get some firewood," he said, "if you and Gatomon want to see if you can find anything edible in this forest."

"We can do that," Kari nodded, watching the boy head off into the forest.

"Do what?" Gatomon yawned as she woke when Kari had begun adjusting the pack she was lying on.

"Find something to eat," Kari told her as Gatomon shifted herself onto Kari's shoulder so that Kari could put her pack down next to Koji's after taking out a collapsible basket that she'd packed from Digitamamon's supply store the last time they'd been there.

The DigiDestined of Light and her partner then went about exploring the nearby vegetation for food. Gatomon found edible mushrooms and berries and Kari found a patch of wild unions. On their way back with a basket full of their finds, Kari spotted what looked like a fruit tree.

"They look like apples," Gatomon mused. "Pale yellow apples."

"Can you grab a few?" Kari asked, shifting the weight of the basket she was carrying.

"Sure," Gatomon purred as she jumped up into the tree and knocked six of them down. "That good enough?"

"That should be plenty," Kari smiled. "We can come back later and grab a few more in the morning for breakfast.

"Sounds great," Gatomon agreed.

When they made it back to the clearing Koji was already back and had a fire started.

"Did you find anything?" Koji asked as he added more sticks to the growing fire he had.

"We found some mushrooms, berries and wild onions," Kari smiled. "We also discovered an apple tree about fifteen meters out from the clearing."

"Apples?" Koji blinked, looking up as Kari showed him the apples Gatomon had picked for her.

"These aren't normal apples," Koji smiled – actually smiled, taking a couple and speared them on metal skewers from his pack that he'd probably gotten at Digitamamon's store as well. "They're meat apples."

"Meat apples?" Kari and Gatomon blinked in bewilderment.

"Yeah," Koji grinned. "We had these back in my world's version of the Digital World. They're really good so long as you let them cook long enough. JP made the mistake of trying to eat one raw. It's basically meat, only in the form of an apple."

"How weird," Kari mused, getting used to the other boy's suddenly happy expression. He had a really nice smile. It made him look so different from the closed off brooding boy that he usually was. When he smiled like that he really did look like a Child of Light like she was.

"So what kind of meat will these taste like?" Kari asked.

"That's the fun part," Koji smirked. "You never know until you take a bite. You could get chicken or turkey or roast beef or even lamb."

"Any other weird foods like this in your world?" Gatomon asked as she sniffed one of the cooking meat apples.

"Hmm," Koji hummed, leaning back, head tilted up towards the canopy as he thought. "Actually, I remember there were these cabbages that didn't taste like cabbages. Back when I'd been traveling on my own there was this village of KaratsukiNumemon who were looking for heroes to save their women folk from the tainted Warrior Spirit of Earth, Grumblemon. I'd taken the job offer and later Takuya, JP, Zoe and Tommy all showed up for the same thing because the KaratsukiNumemon were offering food as the reward. The food they were offering turned out to be cabbages that were way stranger than these apples. I remember one of them had tasted like curry."

"That does sound strange," Kari wrinkled her nose.

Koji smirked and shook his head. "Makes these apples look and taste normal in comparison."

"I bet," Gatomon spat, sticking her tongue out at the thought of the strange cabbages.

Koji and Kari laughed, taking up one of the cooked apples to eat. Kari was surprised by the taste of pork even though she'd expected it not to taste like an apple. As they ate though, Kari realized that maybe traveling with Koji would not be so bad after all. The meat apples seemed to have broken the ice between them as they continued to talk about the strange foods they'd experienced in their Digital Worlds – or in Kari's case, Tai and Matt's experimental cooking.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Davis' Room in the Zaigou Lair

Davis didn't like this. Not one bit. After a restless and nearly sleepless night, Davis found himself sharing his new living quarters with an unconscious Ryo, who'd been brought in sometime during the one of the few times he'd fallen asleep. In all honesty, when he'd heard Netamashiimon and whoever that other guy was talking about Ryo being dead and "repurposed" he hadn't expected Ryo to look the same as he had the last time they'd seen each other in Shinrin. But yet there was Ryo, lying on half of the humongous bed in the bedroom room looking whole and unharmed. He knew that just because he looked normal didn't mean that Ryo hadn't been changed in other ways, though. Takuya had been brought back from the dead too, looking normal as well, yet he was able to digivolve without a digivice, touch fire, and perform feats that no human could ever do outside of a sci-fi movie with awesome special effects. Ryo looking normal didn't mean anything.

Davis hadn't known what to do with himself. He'd given up on sleep at some point early in the morning and he just couldn't find it in himself to stomach any food. Not without knowing what they'd done to Ryo. Would he be next? Would they kill him and do whatever it is they'd done to Ryo and do it to him too? It was these despairing thoughts that had gone through Davis' mind throughout the day. There were no windows in this place so he had no idea what time of day it was. The watch on his digivice would have been helpful if he still had it on him.

In the end he'd ended up in the suite's library/reading room of all places, trying to loose himself in one of the books. After hours of failing to engage himself in one of the books, he decided that he should at least try to eat something to keep up his strength. When he was in the kitchen and settled on preparing a can of soup he found that the kitchen was fully stocked, which explained why no one had been by to give him meals or something. Why bother with a prisoner when they couldn't get out and had their own supplies?

It was just as his soup started to boil that a noise came from the bedroom. Davis froze, not sure what to expect. He heard a tired yawn, some shuffling and then the door opened to reveal a sleepy looking Ryo who was brushing his hand over his eyes.

…Well that was anticlimactic.

"…Ryo?" he called out softly to the other boy.

"Hmm?" the newly awoken boy blinked. "Oh… hi Davis. Is that soup?"

"Ah… yeah," Davis nodded.

"What kind?" Ryo asked as he took a seat at the table.

"…Chicken Noodle," Davis frowned as he looked at the can's label. Funny. It looked like it was just broth with some noodles. If there was any chicken in this slop they must be tiny pieces. "You want some?"

"Please," Ryo nodded, yawning. Then he blinked and looked around. "Where are we? This place looks like a room in those Embassy Suites hotels. Far cry from the desert I last remember us being in."

Desert? Did he mean Netsusa?

"I'm not entirely sure myself," Davis frowned suspiciously as he passed the boy a full bowl of soup before serving himself the rest. "All I know is that wherever we are, the Zaigou must be here too."

"The who?" Ryo frowned.

"Who?" Davis gaped. "The _Zaigou_, Ryo. You know? The bad Digimon we've been fighting for the last who knows however many weeks?"

Ryo frowned looking confused. "Really? Why would you and I be fighting them?"

"You really don't remember?" Davis gaped.

"Remember what?" Ryo frowned, looking a bit agitated now.

"Only the Digimon that have been trying to kill us all practically since we've arrived in this world!" Davis cried. "In fact, they killed Takuya when we first got here!"

"Who's Takuya?" Ryo asked, looking even more confused. "Davis, what are you talking about? It's just been You, me, Monodramon and Veemon traveling the Digital World for the last few weeks. The only evil Digimon I remember us trying to go after is Millenniummon. We were building an army to fight him and his supporters."

Now Davis was confused.

"Are you sure that _you_ are alright, Davis?" Ryo asked, eyeing him worriedly.

"I should be asking _you_ that!" Davis finally exploded. "Are you telling me you remember _nothing_ of the last few weeks?! Do you not remember our friends? What about Takato, Rika, Henry, Suzie, Jeri, Ai, Mako, Kenta and Kazu?! Ken?!"

"Who?" Ryo sighed, shaking his head and ignoring Davis now in favor of eating his soup.

"…What have they done to you?" Davis whispered. "Why do you not remember your friends from your own world, but you know who I am?"

Ryo looked up at him, giving him a concerned look that one might give someone they suspected of going crazy. He opened his mouth to say something – probably to ask Davis what he meant – when the door to the suite opened and a man dressed all in white with platinum blonde that was slicked back up and away from a pale skinned face with bright blue eyes.

"Well hello there!" the man beamed. "So nice to see you two up and about!"

Davis recoiled, jerking out of his chair into a defensive stance. He knew that voice. It had been the other voice that had spoken to him with Netamashiimon's yesterday. So this guy was a Zaigou too.

"What do you want?!" he snapped.

"Davis?" Ryo blinked, alarmed by Davis' reaction.

"Oh dear," the man sighed as he approached Davis. "It appears that he's still suffering from the hallucinogen. Really, those Digimon of Millenniummon's really did a number on you two when they attacked."

"Attacked?" Ryo frowned.

"He's lying, Ryo! He's an enemy!" Davis shouted, backing away from the still approaching Zaigou. "He's been messing with your head!"

"Really now?" the man tisked. "All my little brother and I did was save you two boys from being attacked. You must still be so confused from all those horrible people's manipulations."

Ryo looked even more confused, unsure of who to believe in. Davis realized that even though Ryo somehow remembered him, his paranoid and tired state wasn't helping his argument while the man in white was the perfect picture of calm and patient professionalism and hospitality as he tried to talk Davis down in a calm, soothing manner like one would do with someone mentally unstable.

"Stay away from me!" Davis spat as the man tried to touch him when he finally found himself cornered.

"I just want to help," the man said so sincerely it made Davis pause.

Then with a swift movement the man jabbed a needle into his arm and depressed the plunger.

"No!" Davis screamed, shoving his way past the man, stumbling into the living room area of the suite.

"What did you do to him?!" he heard Ryo demanded as his legs lost all starch and he fell to his knees beside a plush couch.

"I simply gave him a mild sedative," the man said, voice already sounding far away as Davis' vision began to blur. "It appears that I need to give him further treatments to counteract against the hallucinogen that must still be in his body…"

Davis heard no more as he fell further into unconsciousness, fear nearly choking him as he wondered what the unknown Zaigou was really going to do to him, and what other lies he was going to be feeding Ryo with.

* * *

The Digital World: Location: Shinrin City Palace

Takuya grunted softly as he struggled to sit up on his own. He was still wiped out from the fight two days ago. He hated the lack of control he had over his body. Everything didn't hurt anymore thankfully, but he felt numb all over and that made him feel no better than a bag of bones.

"You really shouldn't push yourself," Mai said softly from where she was sitting at the foot of his bed. How long had she been there?

"Have you even slept yet?" Takuya frowned with concern when he noticed the dark smudges under her eyes.

"Not really," she shrugged. "I'm a bit of an insomniac. I haven't slept well since this whole thing began, even before I was Paressemon."

"Ironic, considering that you were the Zaigou of Laziness," Takuya smirked.

Mai cracked a smile as well.

"Seriously, get some sleep," Takuya huffed. "With everything that's happened, I don't think we're getting that audience with Lord Seiryuumon anytime soon."

"I don't think I can sleep," she sighed.

"Why's that?" Takuya asked softly.

"…I'm afraid to," she admitted. "I'm afraid of what's happened to Ryo and Davis, if they really are in the hands of the Zaigou. I'm afraid of where the others might have ended up. …I'm afraid that if I close my eyes, I'll see them. That I'll seen them in my dreams suffering like I saw my old team suffer before they were destroyed. I haven't dreamed about my old team in a long time, but after what's happened… I'll see them. And they will become our friends, and…"

Mai choked back a sob as she began to shake, hugging herself as if to prevent herself from falling apart.

"I see things Takuya," she whispered. "In my dreams… I see them. I see the other Zaigou. I see what they do, what they have done, and what they will do in the future. Even though I'm human again, a part of me is still a part of _them_. Is still Paressemon, and I'm afraid of that small part that allows me to see and sense these things. The part of me that tells me that something is very wrong somewhere with someone, and I'm afraid that if I fall asleep I'll see it."

"Have you been having these dreams this whole time?" Takuya asked.

"No," Mai shook her head. "But I think Koichi was somehow blocking them out. I've always felt calm in his presence. It's easy to be around people like Koji, Kari and TK too."

"People with the attributes of light," Takuya nodded. "I'm sorry that Tai and I aren't enough to ease your worry."

"It's not your fault," Mai smiled sadly.

"It's Kushyamon's."

Mai jumped and Takuya turned his head to see Tai awake in the bed next to his, staring up at the ceiling.

"Never blame yourself, Mai," Tai said softly. "And don't be afraid of who you are now. You have to accept what's happened to you and move on. Don't be afraid of these residual effects left over from your time as Paressemon. Use them to your advantage, if you can. And even if you continue to have these nightmares, we'll always be here to help you get through them. You're not alone anymore Mai."

Tai sat up and took hold of one of her hands.

"Don't be afraid anymore," Tai smiled. "We're here with you and we're going to get through this together. Everything is going to be alright in the end."

"You can't know that," Mai whispered. "Your team has never failed to defend your worlds before."

"And we're not about to stop," Tai said fiercely. "We are all here for a reason. Three teams of DigiDestined were brought here to serve a purpose and we're not going to fail now. We've just hit a lot of snags and have had quite the set back. One so bad that things may seem hopeless now, but if I've learned anything over the years as a DigiDestined and after getting to know everyone brought here… it's that we're not quitters. Some of us _will_ fall – I won't delude myself into thinking that everyone is going to come out of this unscathed. We only need to remember what happened to Takuya to see that. But I know that those that do will rise up and shine brighter than they have before."

"The Digital World tests us, Mai," Takuya added. "Some of us more than others, but everyone here has already been tested once and passed. There's no reason why they can't do so again. Sure, the trials may be harder, but we're DigiDestined! We are all chosen for one reason or another."

"And we're all a team," Tai added, pulling Mai out of her chair and onto the bed to lie beside him. "Stop worrying and go to sleep. Even if you have a nightmare, Takuya, Salandermon, Agumon, SilverEmbermon and I are all here to help chase them away."

Mai was blushing as Tai wrapped a comforting arm around her and pulled her close to him in a hug, but she nodded and close her eyes, falling to sleep surprisingly quickly.

"Smooth," Takuya smirked.

"Shut up," Tai scowled, blushing a bit himself as he settled back onto the bed with Mai in his arms. "You should get some more sleep yourself."

"Sure, but I think I'll meditate for a bit first, if it's all the same to you," Takuya shrugged as he finally managed to sit up, propping himself against his bed's headboard.

"Whatever," Tai yawned before following Mai into dreamland.

Takuya smiled fondly at the pair, before turning his thoughts towards his friends and Zoe. He prayed to the Sovereign that they were all alright and that Zoe at least, had ended up somewhere relatively safe and wasn't alone.

* * *

Wow... it wasn't as long as the last chapter I posted for this story, but it's still pretty damn long. I hope you all enjoyed it, even if things got pretty slow at the end there (I was burning out by then). Like last time, the parts were written in the order from least anticipated to most anticipated characters voted on in the last poll. Please review to let me know what parts you like, what you didn't like, who you'd like the next chapter to focus on (thou I will be putting up a new poll for that later) and if you have any questions.

Anyway, I'm tired, this is finally posted, and I hope you all had a great Digimon anniversary! :D


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